tihvavy  of  t:he  t:heolo0ical  ^eminar^ 

PRINCETON  .  NEW  JERSEY 

FROM  THE  LIBRARY  OF 
ROBERT  ELLIOTT  SPEER 

BV  2835  .DSTgiO 

Dale,  James  Gary,  1870-     I 

Mexico  and  our  mission 


IIIK     'I.I.     b.M.I""     l-.\l.l..S     N1-.\K     lIlh.Ml      IM.L     MAIZ. 


V' 


^ 


F'5B   2  1959 


^ 


Mexico 

AND 

Our  Mission 

(Associate  Reformed  Presbyterian) 


By 
JAMES  G.  DALE 

For  Ten  Years  Missionary  in  Mexico 


Copyright  1910  by  J.  G.  Dale 


PRESS  OF 

SOWERS  PRINTING  COMPANY 

LEBANON,  PA. 


To 
Mv  Jf atfjcr  anli  iWotfjer 

Whose   Life  and  Teachings  Directed   My  Feet 

INTO  THE   Ministry  and  Later  to 

THE  Mission  Field 

And  to 

iWp  Wiit 

Who  for  Ten  Years  Has   Been   a  Faithful 
Helpmeet  in  the  Lord. 


PREFACE 

MISSIONARY  fires  do  not  burn  long  without  the  fuel 
of  facts.  Only  when  the  spiritually  minded  catch 
.the  vision  of  the  Regions  Beyond  so  white  to  the 
harvest,  does  the  heart  flame  with  consuming  zeal  and  is  ready 
to  burn  out  for  Christ  and  the  heathen  world.  Paul  saw  the 
city  of  Athens  wholly  given  to  idolatry  and  then  his  heart 
was  stirred  within  him.  When  the  great  Shepherd  saw  the 
multitudes  scattered  abroad  as  sheep  without  a  shepherd,  His 
heart  was  moved  with  compassion  and  He  entreated  the  dis- 
ciples to  plead  with  Him  that  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  would 
thrust  forth  more  laborers.  Let  those  who  tarry  by  the  stuff 
see  heathen  conditions  as  they  are,  and  they  will  go  and  give 
and  pray. 

For  thirty-one  years  the  Associate  Reformed  Presbyterian 
Church  has  carried  on  missionary  work  in  Mexico  and  yet 
during  all  these  years  nothing  more  than  occasional  articles 
for  the  Church  paper  have  been  written  to  set  before  the 
home  Church  the  conditions  of  the  field,  the  problems  to  be 
solved,  the  agencies  employed,  the  methods  of  operation  and 
the  outlook.  These  articles  are  necessarily  fragmentary  and 
for  want  of  space  can  not  deal  with  the  conditions  and  prob- 
lems of  the  missionary  operations  as  thoroughly  as  may  be 
attempted  in  book  form. 

These  two  considerations  abundantly  justify  the  purpose 
of  the  book.  It  recognizes  that  our  people  will  never  bear 
upon  their  hearts  with  Pauline  fervor  the  evangelization  of 
papal  Mexico  till  they  have  seen  her  spiritual  destitution  and 
heard  her  piercing  need-cry,  and  it  has  striven  to  take  away 
the  veil  that  hides  that  moving  vision  of  the  man  from  Mace- 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

donia  and  make  the  appeal  ring  with  the  force  of  a  clarion 
call  to  come  over  and  help  them.  For  years  the  conviction 
has  been  growing  that  the  book  was  needed  and  from  all 
parts  of  the  home  Church  come  assurances  that  we  have 
judged  rightly  and  that  our  message  has  a  mission. 

Mission  study  classes  have  been  organized  whose  purpose 
is  to  review  our  denominational  missionary  operations.  They 
have  found  themselves  sorely  hampered  by  the  lack  of  a  sys- 
tematic and  thorough  study  of  our  missionary  activities  from 
which  to  glean  the  facts  for  class  work.  It  is  hoped  that  the 
book  will  be  of  some  help  to  them. 

Grateful  acknowledgment  is  made  to  the  friends  who  have 
kindly  reviewed  the  manuscript  and  made  helpful  suggestions. 

If  the  book  will  broaden  and  intensify  the  interest  of  the 
home  Church  in  the  evangelization  of  our  Mexican  field  and 
enable  them  to  more  efficiently  hold  the  ropes,  it  will  not  have 
failed  of  its  purpose  and  the  prayer  of  the  author  will  have 
been  answered. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  The  Country   9 

II.    The  People  I9 

III.  History   35 

IV.  The  Religion  49 

V.    Our  Field  75 

VI.     Plans  and  Ideals  85 

VM.     Our  Beginning  107 

VIII.    Our  Workers 116 

IX.    Our  Missionary  Agencies  136 

X.    Difficulties   i8s 

XI.    Encouragements   206 

XII.    Our  Responsibility   226 

XIII.    Forward  239 

APPENDIXES 

T.     Population    261 

II.  Statistics  of  Evangelical  Missions  of  Mexico 262 

III.  Statistics     of     A.     R.     Presbyterian     Mission     in 
^_>-  Mexico  .'. 263-264 

IV.  Bibliography  265 

V.    Pronunciation  of  Spanish  Letters 265 

Index 267 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

FACING  PAGE. 

EI  Salto  Falls Frontispiece 

Farmer  Plowing  15 

Indian  Hut.    Mexican  of  Lower  Class.    Indian  Girl 19 

Water  Carrier.    Basket  Carrier.    Milk  Man 23 

Typical  Girls 31 

Making  Tortillas  and  Drawnwork 27 

Playing  Bear.    Gentleman  on  Horseback 29 

Hidalgo.     Juarez   45 

Diaz  47 

Interior  of  Cathedral.    Saint  Benito 57 

Virgin  of  Guadalupe  54 

Doing  Penance.     Scourges  62 

Rev.  N.  E.  Pressly,  D.D.  and  Family 112 

Rev.  W.  J.  Bonner  and  Wife.     Miss  McMaster 116 

Rev.  J.  G.  Dale  and  Family 118 

Native  Pastors  and  Students   128 

Revs.  Cruz  and  Sanchez  with  Their  Families 132 

Deceased  Missionaries   136 

Tampico  Church.    Miss  Wallace's  Grave 138 

Rev.  Torres  and  Congregations.    Tantima  Chapel 142 

Churches  of  C.  del  Maiz  and  Rioverde 145 

Rev.  J.  R.  Edwards  and  Family 147 

Missionary  Teachers  150 

Students  of  Tampico  School I55 

Students  of  Preparatory  and  Theological  School 161 

Patients  at  a  Clinic  168 

Hospital  170 

Group  of  Indians.    Don  Severiano  and  Family 174 

Orphans  of  Hattie  May  Chester  School 176 


MAP  OF  THE.  A.R  PRESBYTERIAN  MISSION  FIELD  OF  MEXICO 

The  lines  WmiWindiCitc  Wanchts  ol  the  Me«ican  N.t.on.l  Railroid. 

Towns  marled  t  indicate  Mission  Stations. 

(Belon-  in  the  U(t  hand  corner  is  given  a  general  out-line  of  Me 

territory,  including  that  ol  our  (leld,  showing  Ih.  relation  of  th 

latter  to  the  entire  country.) 


CHAPTER  I. 
THE  COUNTRY.— ITS  PHYSICAL  CONDITIONS. 

Mexico,  deriving  its  name  from  Mexitl,  the 
national  war  god  of  the  Aztecs,  commonly  known 
as  Huitzilopochtli,  is  our  next  door  neighbor.  Sep- 
arated from  Texas,  California  and  Arizona  by  the 
Rio  Grande  river,  it  stretches  towards  the  south- 
east in  the  form  of  a  huge  cornucopia,  reaching  to 
the  borders  of  Central  America.  From  the  north- 
ern line,  I  GOO  miles  long,  which  divides  it  from 
the  United  States,  the  country  gradually  narrows 
itself  towards  the  south  till  at  the  Isthmus  of 
Tehuantepec  it  measures  only  one  hundred  miles 
across.  The  concave  coast  washed  by  the  waters 
of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  is  about  1600  miles  long, 
while  that  of  the  convex  side  on  the  Pacific  is 
about  4500  miles  long  or  nearly  three  times  that 
of  the  Gulf  coast. 

Including  its  islands,  Mexico  has  an  area  of 
767,000  square  miles  or  nearly  that  of  the  United 
States  east  of  the  Mississippi  river.  This  is  only 
one-half  of  the  territory  subject  to  the  Mexican 
flag  sixty  years  ago.  Then  Texas,  California,  Ari- 
zona, Colorado,  New  Mexico,  Utah,  Nevada, 
Oklahoma   and   parts   of   Wyoming   and    Kansas 

9 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

were  Mexican  provinces.  By  treaties  culminat- 
ing in  that  of  Gadsden  made  in  1853,  Mexico  ceded 
to  the  United  States  all  these  states.  Othervvise 
she  would  have  lacked  just  one-third  of  having 
territory  equal  to  that  of  her  powerful  neighbor 
Republic  to  the  north. 

The  country  is  very  broken.  'The  mountain 
ranges  are  projections  from  the  north.  The 
Rocky  Mountains  stretching  down  along  the 
Pacific  coast  under  the  name  of  Sierra  Madre  Oc- 
cidental, reaching  the  isthmus,  are  there  joined  to 
the  Sierra  Madre  Oriental,  which  have  kept  close 
to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  as  they  come  from  the 
Sierra  Nevada  range  of  the  great  Northwest. 
Between  these  two  mountain  systems  lies  the 
great  plateau  of  central  Mexico,  where  are  to  be 
found  most  of  the  large  cities  of  the  country.  As 
these  ranges  of  the  Sierra  Madre  enter  Mexico 
they  mount  up  toward  the  sky.  The  highest  peaks 
are  Ixtacihuatl  (looking  like  a  colossal  woman 
with  her  head  crowned  with  perennial  snows)  16,- 
091  ft.,  Toluca  15,076  ft.,  Orizaba  17,363  ft.,  Po- 
pocatapetl  17,540  ft.,  the  highest  point  this  side  of 
the  far  away  Andes.  The '  mountains  fall  off 
abruptly  on  either  side  of  the  plateau  as  they  slope 
toward  the  coast.  The  railroad  that  connects  Vera 
Cruz  with  Mexico  City  climbs  8000  ft.,  though 
the  distance  is  only  268  miles.  On  the  Mexican 
National,  which  runs  from  Tampico  to  San  Luis 
Potosi,   Tamasopo  lies   at   the   foot   of  the   hills. 

10 


THE  COUNTRY. 

From  this  point  the  train  begins  the  climb  of  3000 
feet  to  Cardenas,  which  is  only  forty  miles  away. 

Climate. 

The  physical  configuration  of  the  country  is 
unique,  affording  three  distinct  climates,  and 
strange  to  add,  all  within  a  few  hours'  ride  from 
each  other.  'Trom  the  elevated  mountain  peaks 
one  can  look  down  past  the  temperate  to  the  tor- 
rid zone;  from  the  frozen  cone  of  some  volcano 
to  the  warm  waters  of  the  Gulf,  embracing  in  one 
view  all  that  class  of  vegetation  which  thrives  be- 
tween the  Arctic  ocean  and  the  Equator." 

On  each  side  of  the  central  plateau  and  skirting 
the  Pacific  ocean  and  the  Gulf,  are  narrow  strips 
of  land  that  reach  up  to  the  altitude  of  3000  feet. 
These  constitute  the  "tierra  caliente"  or  hot  coun- 
try. It  rarely  exceeds  one  hundred  miles  in  width. 
The  eastern  coast  is  subject  to  northers  which 
correspond  to  the  monsoons  of  India.  They 
sweep  down  from  the  north,  blowing  for  days, 
leaving  Tampico,  Vera  Cruz,  and  other  towns 
along  the  coast,  shivering  with  cold.  They  are 
the  dread  of  sailors,  being  most  intense  from  No- 
vember to  March.  Save  when  these  blizzards  whip 
down  the  coast,  driving  the  mercury  very  low,  the 
temperature  rarely  drops  below  60  degrees,  and 
often  rises  to  100  degrees,  and  not  uncommonly 
goes  up  to  104.  La  Paz,  on  the  west  coast,  is  one 
of  the  hottest  towns  in  the  world.     On  account  of 

II 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

the  excessive  rainfall  during  certain  seasons  of  the 
year,  and  the  intense  heat,  the  coasts  have  often 
been  scourged  with  epidemics  like  yellow  fever. 
Modern  methods  of  sanitation,  however,  have  been 
introduced,  and  now  years  pass  without  a  single 
case  of  fever. 

The  temperate  belt  lies  between  the  altitudes  of 
3000  and  6500  feet,  with  an  average  temperature 
of  75  degrees.  Frosts  are  rare  and  never  heavy. 
Even  where  the  sultry  days  of  May  and  June  run 
the  mercury  up,  the  air  is  so  dry  and  crisp  that  the 
heat  is  not  keenly  felt.  The  immunity  from  heavy 
frosts  makes  the  plateau  the  home  of  the  orange. 
Both  tropical  and  semi-tropical  fruits  thrive  side  by 
side.  Wheat  and  sugar  cane  at  times  grow  almost 
within  touch  of  each  other. 

The  "tierra  fria"  or  cold  zone  extends  from 
6000  feet  to  the  snow  line,  which  reaches  12,460 
feet  above  sea  level.  The  mean  temperature  is  60 
degrees,  while  on  the  high  mountain  slopes,  as  at 
Toluca,  the  thermometer  has  been  known  to  reg- 
ister 20  degrees.  The  cold  winds  from  the  north 
often  precipitate  snow,  but  it  disappears  with  the 
gentlest  touch  of  sunshine.  While  the  larger  part 
of  the  Republic  lies  within  the  bounds  of  the  tor- 
rid zone,  the  Tropic  of  •Cancer  crossing  the  land 
slightly  to  the  north  of  San  Luis  Potosi,  the  alti- 
tudes everywhere  temper  the  tropical  climate  of 
the  latitudes.  Barring  the  rainy  season,  lasting 
three  months,  rarely  a  day  comes  and  goes  with- 

12 


THE  COUNTRY. 

out  some  sunshine,  and,  excepting  the  hot  belt, 
rarely  a  night  that  a  blanket  is  not  comfortable. 
Mines. 
Humbolt  styled  Mexico  the  "treasury  house  of 
the  world."  Experts  say  that  there  is  not  a  min- 
eral known  to  the  scientific  world,  except  cryolite, 
that  is  not  found  in  the  country.  Of  the  24  states 
of  the  Republic,  all  except  three  have  mines. 
While  there  are  in  operation  21,000  mines,  cover- 
ing 633,213  acres  of  ground,  and  employing  500,- 
000  men,  it  is  claimed  that  fully  three-fourths  of 
the  mineral  i>ossibilities  are  yet  to  be  developed. 
The  output  of  gold  for  the  year  1907-8  was  $31,- 
921,019,  while  that  of  silver  for  the  same  period 
was  $93,034,750.  Of  other  metals  such  as  copper 
and  lead,  the  total  production  for  that  year  was 
$158,430,625.  Dr.  F.  S.  Borton,  of  Puebla,  is  re- 
sponsible for  the  estimate  that  during  the  past 
400  years  Mexico  has  supplied  one-half  of  the  sil- 
ver output  of  the  world.  Iron  Mountain,  in  the 
state  of  Durango,  a  gigantic  helmet-shaped  hill 
about  a  mile  long,  700  feet  high  and  2000  feet 
wide,  is  composed  almost  totally  of  iron.  Geolo- 
gists say  that  it  has  600,000,000  tons  of  iron  and 
is  worth  $5,000,000,000,000.  • 

Agriculture. 

The  year  divides  itself  into  two  seasons,  the  wet 
and  the  dry.  The  former  lasts  from  June  till  Sep- 
tember, while  during  the  remaining  eight  months 

13 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

it  generally  does  not  rain.  Occasionally  it  does, 
though  the  rainfall  is  very  light.  On  the  table 
lands  it  often  hapi>ens  that  the  rains  do  not  begin 
till  July  and  August,  too  late  for  the  farmer  to 
plant.  Consequently  large  areas  of  this  section 
are  wholly  dependent  on  the  facilities  for  irriga- 
tion. Due  to  the  broken  strata  formation  of  the 
plateau,  there  are  few  springs  and  perennial 
streams  that  can  be  utilized  for  irrigation;  but  the 
civil  engineer  has  come  to  the  rescue  of  the 
drought-smitten  country  and  collected  the  rainfall 
into  dams,  which  are  often  made  by  throwing  an 
embankment  across  the  mouth  of  a  carion.  These 
have  made  the  desert  places  yield  abundant  har- 
vests. Recently  the  government  appropriated 
$25,000,000  to  further  projects  for  irrigation.  Al- 
ready plans  have  been  perfected  by  which  over  a 
million  acres  of  land  are  to  be  irrigated  in  the  val- 
ley of  Mexico.  One  year  and  a  half  ago  the  gov- 
ernment granted  a  concession  to  a  company  to 
pump  water  out  of  Lake  Chapala  in  quantities 
sufficient  to  irrigate  440,000  acres. 

Where  the  rainfall  is  sufficient,  or  where  arti- 
ficial methods  have  watered  the  soil,  its  produc- 
tiveness is  such  that  Dr.  Wm.  Butler,  for  many 
years  missionary  in  'the  Republic,  has  calculated 
that  the  country  is  capable  of  sustaining  one  hun- 
dred millions  of  population.  Crops  may  be 
planted  in  February  and  gathering  them  in  June, 
leaves  ample  time  for  a  second  harvest  before  the 

14 


THE  COUNTRY. 

cold  waves  of  December  come.  Sugar  cane,  one 
of  the  principal  crops,  is  planted  once  in  7  to  12 
years,  maturing  in  one  year,  and  each  successive 
year  sprouting  and  developing  from  the  old  root. 
Some  fields  have  been  harvested  for  15  consecu- 
tive years.  Cotton  is  i>erennial  and  needs  to  be 
planted  only  once  in  ten  years.  The  methods  ci 
agriculture  are  primitive.  The  ox  is  used  exclus- 
ively in  the  cultivation  of  the  land,  and  the  plow  is 
precisely  the  same  type  as  that  used  in  the  days  of 
our  Lord.  Many  of  the  large  farms  or  "hacien- 
das" prefer  modern  machinery,  but  the  "peon" 
does  not  take  to  the  upnto-date  ways,  and  it  is 
easier  to  leave  him  to  follow  in  the  steps  of  his 
fathers  and  forefathers.  Corn,  sugar  cane,  and  cot- 
ton are  the  three  leading  agricultural  products,  in 
the  face  of  the  fact  that  during  the  last  few  years 
the  boll  weevil  has  wrought  widespread  havoc 
with  the  cotton  plantations. 

Peculiar  Plants. 

Rubber. — South  of  the  isthmus  and  stretching 
to  the  borders  of  Guatamala  lie  the  rubber  lands. 
The  trees  are  planted  from  ten  to  thirty  feet  apart, 
leaving  the  intervening  space  for  coflfee  or  cacao 
plants.  When  twelve  years  old  the  tree  begins  to 
produce  about  three  gallons  of  milk  each  year, 
which  yields  about  one-half  of  a  pound  of  rubber. 
Extraordinary  trees  will  measure  2  feet  in  diame- 
ter and  yield  12  gallons  of  milk  or  2  pounds  of 

15 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

rubber  annually.  The  states  of  Chiapas  and  Ta- 
basco are  famous  for  their  rubber  plantations, 
some  of  which  have  orchards  of  50,000  trees. 

Orange. — Extremely  beautiful  is  a  well  cultivat- 
ed orange  grove,  such  as  may  be  found  in  the 
states  of  San  Luis  Potosi,  Jalisco,  Tamaulipas  and 
Sinaloa.     Planted  in  beds  from  the  seed,  the  trees 
are  reset  when  one  year  old.     Ordinarily  they  be- 
gin to  bear  fruit  after  five  years.    They  are  shy  of 
the  cold  and  thrive  best  on  the  lower  lands.     The 
best  orchards  are  laid  out  allowing  100  trees  to 
the  acre,   each  tree  yielding  from   1000  to  2000 
oranges,  though  it  is  not  uncommon  to  see  one 
loaded  down  with  3000.     The  crop  is  ready  to  be 
gathered  in  September,  which  fact  has  given  the 
Mexican  orange  a  ready  sale  on  the  markets  of 
Chicago  and  New  York,  since  the  California  and 
Florida  fruit  ripens  later.    Modern  scientific  meth- 
ods, however,  have  hastened  the  maturing  of  these 
competing  groves,  till  the  Mexican  orange  has  lit- 
tle advantage.     This,  with  the  high  tariff  of  one 
dollar  on  each  box,   and  the  added  freight,   has 
proved  a  sore  discouragement  to  orange  growers 
on  this  side  of  the  Rio  Grande. 

Banana. — It  is  found  over  nearly  all  the  tropics. 
Besides  being  a  delicious  article  of  food,  the 
stalks  and  leaves  have  properties  that  render 
them  useful  for  the  manufacture  of  paper.  Though 
the  stalk  dies  after  having  yielded  its  first  fruit, 
still  it  needs   to  be  planted   but  once,   and   then 

16 


THE  COUNTRY. 

from  sprouts.  Many  of  these  spring  up  around 
the  parent  plant.  Only  i8  months  are  required 
for  fruitage.  So  abundant  is  the  yield  that  down 
on  the  rich  land  of  Chiapas  and  Vera  Cruz  bunches 
are  gathered  weighing  80  pounds.  From  600  to 
800  plants  can  be  placed  on  an  acre  of  land.  Ex- 
perts say  that  the  banana  yields  440  times  the  food 
that  a  potato  does  to  the  acre,  and  130  times  that 
of  wheat.  The  bunches  are  cut  while  green  and 
shipped  to  northern  markets,  where  in  hermetic- 
ally sealed  rooms  they  ripen  in  two  or  three  days. 
Henequen. — This  plant  grows  in  the  states  of 
Tamaulipas  and  Yucatan.  In  the  latter  state  it  is 
the  principal  industry  of  the  people.  It  is  usually 
set  out  from  cuttings  taken  from  the  stalk  when 
about  18  inches  high.  These  are  thrown  in  heaps 
where  they  lie  till  they  seem  decayed  and  utterly 
worthless.  Then  they  are  set  7  feet  apart  and  in 
rows  4  feet  distant  from  each  other.  After  6  years 
it  will  begin  to  yield  fiber.  'Tt  grows  in  the  form 
of  a  conical  spike,  which  springs  from  the  center, 
and  which  is  soon  circled  by  successive  rings  of 
long  sword-like  leaves,  which  radiate  from  it."  A 
mature  plant  will  bear  from  6  to  8  rings,  with  i 
to  15  leaves  radiating.  The  lower  rings  are  cut 
out  each  year,  the  cutting  and  the  developing 
being  almost  continuous.  The  average  life  of  the 
productive  plant  is  16  years.  With  a  large  knife, 
the  leaves  are  cut,  and  by  machinery  are  scraped, 
the  pulp  and  the  fiber  being  separated.     Just  as 

17 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

soon  as  the  leaves  are  dry,  they  are  baled  for  ship- 
ment. So  profitable  is  the  fiber  that  it  has  been 
styled  the  "green  gold  of  Yucatan/'  the  annual 
output  ranging  in  the  neighborhood  of  600,000 
bales. 


MEXICO'S  ANNUAL  AGRICULTURAL  OUTPUT. 


Corn    $100,000,000 

Wheat   22,000,000 

Barley    7,000,000 

Sugar  Cane   45,000,000 

Cotton    35,000,000 

Heniquen    24,000,000 

Ixtle    4,000,000 

Peanuts  1,000,000 


Coffee    $17,000,000 

Bean   12,000,000 

Tobacco  7,000,000 

Gum   3,000,000 

Pepper  6,000,000 

Lumber   5,000,000 

Potatoes    2,000,000 

Sarsaparilla,  etc..  1,000,000 


18 


^Sb^^^^k^'^*''^'  ' '" 


TYPICAL    INDIAN    HUT    IX    THE    "TIKKRA    CAI.IENTE. 


TYI'llAI,    NAri\|-.    OF    THE    LOWER    CLASS. 


A    TYPE    OF    INDIAN     GIRLS    IN     OAXACA 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  PEOPLE. 

The  population  of  Mexico  numbered  13,607,259, 
according-  to  the  last  census.  The  male  and  fe- 
male proportion  are  almost  equally  divided,  the 
latter  having  a  majority  of  103,023.  These  figures 
are  only  approximately  accurate,  for  the  Indians 
of  the  remote  mountain  districts  shun  the  census 
gatherer,  suspecting  that  the  government  is  seek- 
ing to  impose  an  extra  tax.  Reliable  authorities 
reckon  that  the  present  population  is  at  least  fif- 
teen millions.  Of  these,  thirty-eight  per  cent  are 
of  I  the  Indian  race,  nineteen  per  cent  are  of  the 
white  race,  and  the  remaining  forty-three  per 
cent  are  mixed.  The  Iberian,  Semite,  Hamite, 
Goth,  Vandal,  Roman  and  Celt  races  all  mingled 
their  blood  with  that  of  the  Aztec  in  that  stream 
of  fortune-seekers  who  invaded  Mexico  during 
the  days  of  the  Conquest.  No  other  American 
people  have  the  blood  of  more  races  in  their  veins. 

The  Indian. 

There  are  5,170,758  Indians  scattered  over  the 
Republic.  Of  the  sixty-two  languages  spoken  in 
the  country,  fifty-two  are  Indian  dialects,  and 
many  of  them  are  as  distinct  as  French  from  Hin- 
dustani. Only  one  or  two  of  these  dialects  have 
been  reduced  to  written  form.  It  is  said  that  fully 
two  million  Indians  are  utterly  ignorant  of  the 
Spanish  tongue. 

19 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

The  typical  Indians  are  not  hunters  with  bow 
and  arrow,  as  so  often  fancied,  but  farmers,  with 
their  corn  fields  hig-h  up  on  the  mountain.  They 
are  exceedingly  shy.  They  prefer  the  isolation  of 
the  inaccessible  parts,  and  rarely  come  down  to 
mingle  with  the  other  races,  except  on  market 
days,  when  they  come  to  the  plazas  to  make  their 
purchases.  Barring  their  fondness  for  rum,  which 
is  so  deeply  rooted  in  their  being  that  they  will 
barter  the  most  essential  foodstufifs  for  a  drink, 
they  are  a  hard-working  and  enduring  race. 
Though  the  government  grants  them  all  the  rights 
of  citizenship,  as  a  race  they  exercise  little  influ- 
ence on  the  destiny  of  the  nation,  save  as  here 
and  there  from  their  quiet  tribes  have  arisen 
heroes  who  have  been  veritable  makers  of  Mexi- 
can history.  Juarez,  who  framed  and  fought  suc- 
cessfully for  the  enactment  of  the  Reform  laws 
that  freed  the  country  from  the  domination  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  hierarchy;  Morelos  and  Guerrero, 
who  bore  bravely  forward  the  banner  of  Independ- 
ence which  Hidalgo  had  unfurled;  and  Altamirano, 
recognized  in  literary  circles  as  one  of  the  great 
masters, — all  were  full-blooded  Indians.  And  so 
was  the  mother  of  President  Diaz,  who  has  piloted 
the  ship  of  state  for  thirty-five  years. 
The  Foreign   Population. 

The  influx  of  foreign  population  during  recent 
years  has  been  marked.  One  hundred  thousand 
souls  have  come  from  forty  different  nationalities 

20 


THE  PEOPLE. 

of  the  earth.  Of  these,  the  immigrants  from  the 
United  States  are  in  the  front  rank,  there  being 
40,000  in  the  country,  of  which  number  15,000  are 
residents  of  Mexico  City.  The  Spaniards  number 
20,000,  and  the  EngHsh  5000.  Ten  thousand 
Chinese  have  emigrated  to  Mexico,  still  clinging 
to  Taoism,  the  faith  of  their  fathers,  and  8000  Jap- 
anese, who  are  Shintoists.  Curiously  enough, 
there  are  very  few  negroes  in  the  country.  One 
may  be  seen  here  and  there  in  the  seaport  towns, 
but  in  the  interior  there  are  absolutely  none,  save 
the  occasional  porter  on  a  Pullman  car.  Recently 
an  American  company  imported  two  thousand  to 
work  on  their  plantation.  At  first  they  did  splen- 
did service,  but  finally  became  useless  and  all  were 
discharged.  The  government  compelled  the  com- 
pany to  carry  them  back  to  the  States.  It  is  al- 
leged that  the  negro  is  unable  to  compete  with 
the  native  laborer,  and  for  that  reason  does  not 
cross  the  Rio  Grande  to  seek  fortune. 

Form  of  Government. 

The  constitution  provides  for  a  form  of  govern- 
ment that  is  representative,  democratic  and  fed- 
eral. The  states  are  vested  with  full  and  sovereign 
power,  touching  all  questions  that  have  to  do  with 
the  internal  administration.  At  the  same  time 
they  are  united  in  one  central  and  federal  head, 
which  handles  all  matters  of  interstate  and  inter- 
national  relations.     The   governmental   functions 

21 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

are  divided  into  three  departments,  the  legislative, 
the  executive  and  the  judicial.  The  legislative 
body  comprises  the  Senate  and  the  Chamber  of 
Deputies.  The  former  is  composed  of  two  senators 
from  each  state,  and  the  latter  of  one  representa- 
tive from  every  40,000  inhabitants.  The  execu- 
tive is  the  president,  elected  every  six  years,  and 
receives  a  salary  of  $50,000  annually.  He  may 
be  elected  indefinitely.  The  judicial  branch  em- 
braces the  Circuit  and  Supreme  courts.  The  gov- 
ernment of  the  states  is  modeled  after  the  plan  of 
that  of  the  nation.  Each  state  is  divided  into  dis- 
tricts, which  are  under  the  jurisdiction  of  "jefes," 
who  are  answerable  to  the  governors  of  the  states. 
The  governors  are  appointed  by  the  federal  au- 
thorities at  Mexico  City,  and  the  "jefes"  by  the 
governors. 

The  Army. 
The  law  fixes  the  regular  army  at  30,000  men, 
besides  a  first  reserve  of  28,000  and  a  second  of 
150,000.  The  soldiers  are  stationed  over  the  Re- 
public at  the  capitals  of  the  military  districts. 
Fully  one-third  of  the  ofificers  are  men  trained  at 
the  military  academy  of  Chapultepec.  Not  a  small 
part  of  the  army  is  composed  of  criminals,  who 
serve  the  country  as  a  punishment.  The  plan  is 
a  capital  one,  for  while  they  do  not  make  the  best 
soldiers,  in  case  of  war  the  reserve  forces  are  al- 
ways available.  Besides  the  regular  army,  each 
district  has  a  mounted,  volunteer  force  known  as 

22 


BASKET    CARRIER. 


WATER    CARRIER. 


MILK    MAN. 


THE  PEOPLE. 

the  "rurales."  These  are  a  poHce  body,  consti- 
tuted by  the  government,  without  pay.  At  stated 
times  they  report  to  their  respective  *'jefes"  for 
inspection.  Thirty  years  ago  the  country  was  in- 
fested with  robbers,  and  the  highways  were  no- 
where safe.  President  Diaz  hit  on  this  plan  for 
their  extermination.  The  "rurales"  have  been  the 
terror  of  the  highway  bandits,  and  now  traveling 
is  safe  wellnigh  everywhere. 

The  Navy. 

Mexico  makes  no  pretensions  toward  equipping 
a  navy  to  match  those  of  the  great  powers  of  the 
world.  And  she  is  wise.  All  that  is  attempted  is 
a  marine  force,  capable  of  maintaining  peace  along 
the  coast,  for  Mexico  is,  and  expects  to  be,  at 
peace  with  all  the  world.  Three  hundred  and 
fifty  men  with  one  hundred  and  fifty  officers  con- 
stitute the  naval  equipment. 

Customs. 

Mexican  life  has  much  in  common  with  the  Ori- 
ental customs  of  the  days  of  our  Lord.  So  strik- 
ing is  the  resemblance  that  not  a  few  ethnologists 
believe  that  the  pioneer  settlers  that  antedated  the 
Toltecs,  wandered  from  Western  Asia.  Women 
wear  their  "rebosas"  or  shawls  over  their  heads, 
just  as  the  traveler  may  see  them  on  the  streets  of 
Jerusalem  now,  save  that  the  latter  cover  the  head 
more  completely.     Modern  Rebeccas  gather  about 

23 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

the  wells  of  the  Mexican  towns  to  draw  water  for 
the  donkeys  and  cows,  as  did  the  fair  damsel  of 
Bethtiel,  when  the  servant  of  Abraham  drew  near 
in  quest  of  a  wife  for  his  master's  son.  They  carry 
homeward  the  water  in  the  earthen  pots  that  sit 
most  gracefully  on  their  heads,  precisely  as  we 
have  seen  them  do  about  the  wells  of  Cana  and 
Nazareth.  The  common  laborer  wears  his  san- 
dals, made  after  the  identical  style  of  those  the 
apostles  had  when  they  followed  the  Master  over 
the  hills  of  Galilee.  The  plow,  which  Elisha  fol- 
lowed up  and  down  the  furrow  when  Elijah  called 
him  to  take  up  his  mantle  soon  to  fall,  is  the  exact 
prototype  of  those  seen  in  any  Mexican  field,  and 
drawn  by  oxen  just  as  then,  with  the  yoke  tied  to 
the  horns  by  strong  bands  of  leather.  The  houses 
are  built  with  flat  roofs,  like  the  home  of  Simon  of 
Joppa,  where  Peter  was  praying  when  the  messen- 
gers came  from  CorneHus.  The  donkey  is  the 
same  beast  of  burden  for  the  common  people. 
Mexican  life  becomes  a  most  helpful  commentary 
on  the  gospels  that  record  the  walk  and  words  of 
our  Lord. 

Plantation  Life. 

Like  the  Orientals,  the  people  live  almost  ex- 
clusively in  cities,  towns  and  ranches.  It  is  rare 
to  find  isolated  homes  scattered  through  the  coun- 
try. From  the  towns  they  will  go  for  miles  into 
the  country  to  till  the  land.     Among  the  Oaxaca 

24 


THE  PEOPLE. 

Indians  it  is  not  uncommon  for  them  to  cultivate 
their  corn  fields  thirty  miles  away,  and  bring  all 
the  produce  home  on  their  backs. 

The  greater  proportion  of  the  laboring  class  are 
gathered  on  plantations  or  "haciendas."  These 
immense  farms  are  vestiges  of  the  old  Spanish  re- 
gime, when  the  king  divided  the  lands  and  passed 
the  parcelled  tracts  into  the  hands  of  the  new 
settlers.  The  style  of  the  "hacienda"  corresponds 
exactly  to  that  of  the  feudal  system  of  Europe, 
save  that  the  government  has  eliminated  the  en- 
slaving feature,  though  it  often  happens  that  the 
"peons"  of  the  "haciendas"  are  practically  slaves. 
In  the  center  of  the  "hacienda"  stands  the  mansion 
of  the  owner,  and  around  it  are  the  huts  of  the 
laborers,  reaching  far  off  into  the  surrounding 
plain.  In  the  early  days  the  main  building  was 
enclosed  by  an  impregnable  wall,  and  when  at- 
tacked by  invading  robbers,  which  often  happened, 
all  ran  into  the  castle  enclosure  for  protection. 
Hard  by  the  "hacendados"  mansion  stands  the 
chapel,  where  the  Catholic  priests  say  mass  for  the 
edification  (?)  of  the  people.  The  owner  generally 
resides  in  a  neighboring  city,  leaving  his  interests 
in  the  care  of  an  overseer.  Not  unfrequently  these 
plantations  are  as  large  as  entire  counties  of  the 
United  States.  Near  by  is  one  that  will  measure 
thirty-five  miles  square,  and  it  is  not  exceptional. 
They  are  known  to  command  as  many  as  20,000 
laborers,   whose   daily  wages   will   rarely   exceed 

25 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

twenty-five  cents  silver  or  twelve  cents  United 
States  currency.  This  system  of  "haciendas"  has 
sorely  checked  the  progress  of  ag-riculture,  and 
there  will  dawn  a  better  day  when  these  immense 
tracts  of  land  are  divided  and  sold  to  dififerent 
parties. 

The  Homes. 

The  houses  are  made  mostly  after  the  same 
model;  square-shaped,  of  one  story,  and  with  a  roof 
well-nigh  flat.  No  space  is  left  for  the  front 'yard. 
The  "zewuan"  (front  door)  opens  on  the  sidewalk. 
The  entire  yard  is  enclosed  by  a  high  wall,  so  that 
with  the  waiting  boy  sleeping  just  inside  the  front 
door,  there  is  little  chance  for  robbers  to  enter. 
The  windows  are  enclosed  with  iron  bars.  These 
were  necessary  years  ago,  when  at  any  hour  the 
home  might  be  invaded  by  a  band  of  bandits,  and 
modern  changes  have  not  disturbed  these  protec- 
tions. The  home  is  built  around  a  court,  which 
is  nearly  always  filled  with  choicest  flowers.  If 
there  is  lacking  the  front  yard,  with  its  rich  Ken- 
tucky blue  grass,  the  loss  is  somewhat  compen- 
sated for  by  the  inside  court  or  "patio,"  which  is 
always  refreshing.  Even  among  the  poor,  it  is 
rare  to  find  a  home  without  flowers.  On  the  far- 
away ranches  one  may  see  the  humble  cottage 
beautified  with  pots  of  flowers,  the  water  with 
which  to  keep  them  alive  being  carried  a  mile  or 
more  on  the  heads  of  the  women.     The  advantages 

26 


THE  PEOPLE. 

of  good  ventilation  are  not  g-enerally  recognized. 
Very  often  among  the  poorer  classes  may  be  seen 
homes  with  no  windows  at  all,  but  two  doors 
which  are  tightly  closed  at  night.  Stoves  and  fire- 
places are  not  used  even  in  the  high  climates  of 
eight  and  ten  thousand  feet.  The  rich  wrap  their 
furs  about  them,  while  the  poor  grin  and  bear  it. 
The  ordinary  hut  of  the  Indian  is  made  of  a 
thatched  roof  of  grass,  walled  with  canes  and 
mother  earth  for  a  floor.  Sometimes  the  walls  are 
daubed  with  simple  mud.  Most  often  they  are  not. 
The  chilly  winds  from  the  north  have  free  pass 
through  the  cane  walls.  The  bed  is  a  simple  mat 
of  cane  or  grass,  on  which  they  sleep  contentedly, 
covered  with  their  blanket.  If  the  thermometer 
falls  very  low  they  will  kindle  a  fire  in  the  middle 
of  the  room  and  gather  about  the  little  blaze  to 
keep  warm. 

National  Dishes. 
From  the  humblest  hut  to  the  homes  whose 
tables  afford  the  choicest  menu,  "tortillas"  and 
"frijoles"  are  the  favorite  dishes.  Hardly  a  table 
is  spread  without  these,  which  are  seasoned  with 
red  pepper  and  to  spare.  The  "frijole"  resembles 
the  Boston  baked  bean.  It  is  first  well  boiled  and 
then  fried  with  lard.  The  "tortilla"  is  a  corn  cake, 
made  from  the  meal  ground  on  the  "metate"  or 
rock,  and  made  always  by  the  women.  The  corji 
is  first  boiled  in  lime  water,  after  which  it  is  ground 
on  the  "metate"  into  a  very  fine  meal  called  "nix- 

27 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

tamal,"  then  made  into  small  round  cakes  and 
baked  on  an  earthen  plate  or  sheet  of  iron  called 
"comal."  The  high  rate  of  mortality  among  the 
women  of  the  lower  class  has  been  attributed  to 
this  hard  work  of  bending  o\^er  the  rock  and  grind- 
ing the  corn  for  the  "tortillas."  During  the  last 
few  years,  small  mills,  operated  by  electricity  or 
gasoline  motors,  have  been  introduced  into  the 
country,  and  they  have  proven  a  veritable  boon  to 
woman.  Thousands  and  thousands  of  families  live 
year  after  year  whose  bill  of  fare  never  gets  be- 
yond the  ''frijoles"  and  "tortillas,"  with  an  abun- 
dance of  pepper  to  be  sure.  And  there  are  multi- 
tudes whose  daily  food  consists  of  "tortillas"  and 
pepper,  and  these  often  served  cold. 

Typical  Traits. 

The  people  are  kind  and  hospitable  to  a  fault. 
The  traveler  will  never  want  for  a  resting  place, 
unless  he  be  a  Protestant  against  whom  the  Cath- 
olic priest  has  embittered  the  hearts  of  the  people. 
Patients  often  come  to  our  hospital  whom  we  are 
not  able  to  receive  on  account  of  the  contagion 
of  their  disease.  These  have  little  trouble  to  find 
a  lodging  place,  though  they  be  strangers  in  the 
town.  Families  living  in  a  tiny  hut  and  with  a 
large  family,  will  unhesitatingly  share  the  limited 
comforts  of  their  home  to  the  sick  seeking  health. 
Beggars  abound,  yet  they  rarely  knock  at  a  door 
and  are  denied  a  bit  of  bread. 

28 


V 

;  5 

Sg] 

THE  PEOPLE. 

To  be  "simpatico"  or  amiable  is  counted  one  of 
the  cardinal  virtues  and  a  sure  mark  of  good  breed- 
ing. The  rich,  and  even  the  pKDorest,  on  making 
your  acquaintance,  will  invariably  tell  you  that  they 
now  become  your  servants  and  their  homes  are  at 
your  orders.  To  praise  a  thing,  be  it  a  jewel,  a 
horse,  a  house  or  a  plantation,  one  is  sure  to  have  it 
said  that  it  is  yours.  To  be  sure  this  is  not  to  be 
taken  literally.  It  is  but  a  cordial  outburst  of  gen- 
erosity, and  the  recipient  is  to  decline  with  thanks. 
Not  all  the  foreigners  understand.  A  wild  westerner 
was  introduced  to  a  Mexican  Sefior  on  the  street, 
who  most  politely  placed  himself  at  his  orders, 
and  did  the  same  with  his  home.  The  Mexican 
gentleman  was  amazed  on  returning  home  to  find 
the  American  seated  in  his  parlor  in  his  best  chair, 
with  his  soiled  boots  resting  on  the  sofa,  and  a 
cigar  in  his  mouth.  "Well,  Colonel,  I've  come," 
remarked  the  jolly  fellow  from  the  wild  West. 

Courtship  and  Marriage. 

"Playing  bear"  is  the  current  phrase  for 
courting.  When  a  young  man  falls  in  love,  he 
stands  about  the  street  in  front  of  the  home  of  his 
lady  love,  watching  the  windows  and  balconies. 
By  the  use  of  a  language  without  words,  she  under- 
stands his  movements,  and  if  Cupid's  arrows  have 
pierced  her  heart,  she  will  appear  on  the  balcony 
or  at  the  window  or  respond  by  a  gentle  wave  of 
the  curtain.    All  his  leisure  hours  are  spent  about 

29 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

the  street  of  her  home  to  catch  a  ghmpse  of  his 
"novia."  At  first  she  appears  to  rebuff  him,  but 
he  knows  how  to  interpret  and  continues  to  come. 
After  a  few  days,  she  will  come  to  the  window  to 
speak  to  him.  The  next  day  she  will  stay  a  little 
longer.  Then  follows  the  regular  calls  at  her  win- 
dow where  he  lingers  till  the  late  hours  of  mid- 
night, he  standing  on  the  sidewalk  and  holding 
her  hand  through  the  iron  bars  of  the  window.  He 
is  not  permitted  to  enter  the  home  till  some  inti- 
mate friend  has  got  special  permission  from  her 
parents.  Even  then  the  lovers  are  not  left  alone. 
A  third  party  is  always  present  and  often  the  en- 
tire family.  If  he  wins  his  suit,  he  is  supposed  to 
furnish  the  full  bridal  trousseau,  generally  white 
satin  or  silk,  and  if  he  is  from  the  better  class,  the 
several  dresses  will  cost  him  hundreds  of  dollars. 
The  wealthiest  class  order  direct  from  Paris.  Here, 
at  least,  the  American  feels  that  he  has  the  decided 
advantage. 

Eig'hteen  days  before  the  marriage,  the  groom 
brings  the  civil  judge  to  the  home  of  the  bride, 
with  four  witnesses,  before  whom  the  contracting 
parties  declare  their  purpose  of  matrimony.  This 
is  called  the  presentation.  Immediately  the  judge 
gives  public  notice  that  in  eighteen  days,  the  two 
are  to  be  united  in  holy  wedlock  unless  valid  ob- 
jection is  filed  against  it.  At  the  expiration  of  the 
specified  time,  the  groom  again  brings  the  wit- 
nesses and  judge,  and  the  marriage  is  consummat- 

30 


THE  PEOPLE. 

ed.  The  judge  charges  ten  dollars  for  each  trip. 
The  common  people  go  through  the  same  cere- 
mony, save  that  they  meet  the  civil  officer  in  his 
office,  for  which  no  charge  is  allowed.  The  gov- 
ernment recognizes  no  ecclesiastical  ceremony. 

Having  complied  with  the  civil  requirements, 
the  bride  and  groom  pass  through  the  third  stage, 
that  of  the  ecclesiastical  ceremony,  where  the  par- 
ish priest  makes  them  one.  For  his  services  the 
spiritual  father  (?)  charges  any  price,  even  to  one 
hundred  dollars,  if  the  groom  comes  from  the  up- 
per grades  of  society.  And  even  if  not,  he  will 
hardly  reduce  his  fee  to  less  than  twenty  dollars. 
He  insists  that  the  legal  ceremony  has  no  value 
before  God.  And  this  fact,  with  the  enormous 
fees  exacted  by  the  priests,  has  brought  on  the 
shameful  condition  of  thousands  and  thousands  of 
families  over  the  country,  in  which  the  father  and 
mother  are  living  together  unmarried,  not  being 
able  to  pay  the  necessary  fee,  and  having  been 
taught  that  the  civil  marriage  is  a  farce. 

Music. 

All  Mexicans  are  lovers  of  music,  and  few  are 
without  some  musical  talent.  Among  the  upper 
classes,  nearly  every  home  has  a  piano.  On  mis- 
sionary trips  we  have  found  pianos  in  mountain 
towns  fifty-five  miles  from  the  nearest  railroad  sta- 
tion, where  there  was  no  road  better  than  a 
mere  donkey  trail.    Indians  had  carried  the  pianos 

31 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

over  those  fifty-five  miles,  and  across  bridgeless 
rivers. 

Every  town  of  moderate  size  has  a  band,  and 
most  of  them  are  well  worth  hearing.  These  give 
weekly  concerts  in  the  plaza  or  public  park.  Peo- 
ple of  all  classes  gather  with  their  families  in  the 
evening  and  walk  round  and  round  while  the  band 
plays,  until  about  ten  o'clock.  It  is  the  favorite 
place  for  the  young  people  to  make  love,  coming 
around  to  meet  each  other,  smile  and  pass  on. 
These  concerts  are  a  veritable  blessing  to  the  hum- 
bler classes  after  the  day's  work  is  over.  There 
all  distinctions  are  blotted  out.  The  rich  and  poor 
meet  together. 

Bull  Fights — The  National  Sport. 

Sabbath  afternoon  is  the  time  always  set,  for 
then  is  drawn  the  largest  crowds.  They  are  held 
in  immense  amphitheaters,  some  of  them  with  a 
seating  capacity  of  20,000  persons.  The  size  of 
the  audiences  may  be  imagined  from  the  fact  that 
at  times  the  gate  receipts  will  run  up  to  $30,000  to 
v$40,ooo.  The  cost  of  the  tickets  range  from  five 
dollars  down  to  fifty  cents. 

It  is  a  scene  of  blood.  The  fiercest  bulls,  worth 
as  much  as  eight  hundred  dollars,  are  brought  into 
the  ring.  The  "picadores,"  lancers,  mounted  on 
horses,  stick  sharp  barbs  into  the  shoulders  of  the 
animal   till   he  is  wild  with   rage.     The   horse  is 

32 


THE  PEOPLE. 

blindfolded  so  as  to  make  him  insensible  of  the 
danger.  Thus  the  rider  dashes  to  the  front  of  the 
charging  bull  and  plants  the  keen  daggers  into 
his  shoulders.  Early  in  the  fight  the  horse  is 
gored,  but  he  is  spurred  on  to  charge  again  and 
again,  till  he  falls  from  loss  of  blood  and  dies. 
Another  and  another  is  brought  in  to  share  the 
same  fate.  Each  time  the  rider  escapes.  The  bull, 
now  with  his  shoulders  stinging  from  the  deep 
pricks  of  the  daggers,  having  gored  to  death  horse 
after  horse,  frenzied  with  anger,  is  ready  for  the 
fighter  who  enters  on  foot.  Coolly  walking  to  the 
front  of  the  bull,  which  quicker  than  the  clock 
strikes  a  second,  dashes  for  his  tormenter,  the  lat- 
ter holds  out  his  red  cloak,  behind  which  he  pre- 
tends to  shield  himself,  while  through  it  the  ani- 
mal drives  his  horns  thinking  to  put  an  end  to  his 
enemy,  to  find  that  the  agile  fighter  has  quietly 
stepped  aside  and  is  ready  for  another  attack.  This 
is  repeated  till  the  bull  is  discouraged.  His  sharp 
horns,  backed  by  the  strength  of  a  lion,  are  no 
match  for  the  lightning-like  movements  of  the 
enemy,  coupled  with  the  nerves  of  steel.  Finally 
the  fighter  lays  aside  his  red  cape  and  waits  for 
the  rush  of  the  doomed  bull.  With  the  grit  of  a 
tiger  he  points  a  keen  lance  and  drives  it  into  the 
heart  of  the  animal,  while  the  crowd  applauds  it- 
self hoarse.  The  hero  retires  from  the  ring,  with 
the  bull  and  horses  weltering  in  blood.  It  must 
be  a  most  revolting  and  sickening  sight. 

33 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

At  times  the  fighter  will  receive  as  much  as  four 
thousand  dollars  for  the  work  of  a  single  after- 
noon. The  annual  slaughter  of  a  fighter,  who  has 
his  season  fully  occupied,  is  from  one  hundred  to 
two  hundred  bulls.  The  "torero"  or  fighter  is 
generally  from  the  lower  ranks  of  society,  and  is 
lionized  very  much  as  are  the  prize  fighters  by 
the  rabble  of  the  United  States.  President  Diaz 
is  against  the  inhuman  practice,  and  often  have 
fights  been  prohibited  in  the  Federal  District, 
but  only  when  the  iron  arm  of  law  makes  a  fighter 
liable  to  years  in  a  penitentiary  cell,  will  the  bloody 
amusement  come  to  an  end.  One  thing  sure.  It 
will  die  hard.  But  there  is  hope.  There  is  an 
Anti-Bullfighting  Society  at  work,  and  one  sena- 
tor has  had  the  courage  to  introduce  a  measure  in 
the  National  Congress  that  would  place  the  fight 
under  the  ban  of  law. 


34 


CHAPTER  III. 

HISTORY. 

When  the  Spanish  conquerors  came  to  Mexico 
they  found  races  that  had  developed  high  grades 
of  civilization.  Among  other  marks  of  advance- 
ment, they  had  invented  a  system  of  picture  writ- 
ing by  means  of  which  they  transmitted  their 
thoughts  and  their  history  to  succeeding  genera- 
tions. At  Tenochtilan,  the  Aztec  capital,  was  locat- 
ed their  great  library,  in  which  they  had  stored 
away  manuscripts  that  told  of  those  long  epochs  of 
pre-historic  times.  Juan  Zumarrago,  one  of  the 
pioneer  Roman  Catholic  bishops,  true  to  the  spirit 
that  always  has  characterized  that  church  that 
would  extinguish  all  light  and  usher  us  back  into 
the  dark  ages,  ordered  the  library  burned,  and 
thus  destroyed  those  veritable  literary  treasures, 
those  documents  that  are  the  only  authoritative 
source  of  light  on  that  long  range  of  history  that 
reaches  far  back  into  the  dark  unknown. 

Pre-historic  Tribes. 

One  thing  is  doubly  sure.  Thousands  of  years 
ago  there  thrived  in  Mexico  empires  with  a  civili- 
zation not  to  be  despised.  To  this  testify  silent, 
half-buried  ruins  scattered  all  over  the  land.  Such 
are  the  pyramids  of  Cholula,  whose  base  covers  20 
acres  and  rises  177  feet  high,  with  an  apex  measur- 

35 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

ing  144  ft.  by  202  ft.  The  Indian  legends  say  that 
the  band  of  giants  began  to  build  a  tower  by  which 
to  reach  the  celestial  lands,  but  the  gods  became 
angry  and  demolished  their  work.  At  Teotihua- 
can,  27  miles  from  Mexico  City,  is  a  range  of 
mounds  two  and  a  half  miles  long  and  two  miles 
wide,  the  largest  being  the  Pyramid  of  the  Sun, 
whose  base  is  equal  to  that  of  Gizeh,  the  greatest 
of  the  Egyptian  pyramids,  and  with  half  its  height. 
Close  by  nestles  that  of  the  Moon,  almost  as  large, 
while  around  these  cluster  hundreds  of  smaller 
pyramids.  All  these  bear  a  most  striking  resem- 
blance to  those  marvels  of  architecture  scattered 
up  and  down  the  Nile  valley.  The  Palenque  ruins, 
in  the  state  of  Chiapas,  are  so  old  that  archaeolo- 
gists have  been  trying  to  prove  that  they  mark 
the  cradle  of  the  human  race.  The  buried  cities  of 
Chicken-Itza  in  Yucatan,  with  the  overgrown 
forests,  rival  some  of  those  rare  specimens  of  archi- 
tecture that  Pericles  built  on  the  hills  of  Athens. 
These  remnants  of  those  far  remote  ages,  that  re- 
mind us  of  the  Parthenon  or  the  temples  of  those 
old  master  builders  on  the  Nile,  bear  unmistakable 
witness  that  in  Mexico  empires  rose,  flourished, 
and  climbed  to  laudable  heights  of  civilization. 
Then  their  glory  dimmed  and  faded.  We  know 
not  when,  nor  why  nor  how. 

From  whence  came  these  tribes?  Ethnologists 
disagree.  Some  afifirm  that  they  came  from 
Europe;  others  that  they  were  of  African  descent; 

36 


HISTORY. 

while  others  still  trace  their  origin  to  the  Semitic 
races  of  Asia.  Of  the  last  theory  the  eminent  an- 
thropologist, Humbolt,  was  the  leading  champion. 
He  is  said  to  have  observed  more  American  tribes 
than  any  other  traveler  and  fully  believed  that  the 
primitive  races  of  America  were  closely  akin  to 
Asiatic  people.  They  came  by  way  of  Behring 
Strait,  or  sailed  across  the  Pacific  precisely  as 
many  Japanese  junks  are  known  to  have  drifted 
over  to  American  shores. 

Toltecs. 
But  discarding  legendary  lore  and  dealing  with 
the  earliest  authenticated  history,  the  Toltecs 
came  from  the  north  during  the  seventh  century 
and  overran  the  valley  of  Mexico,  founding  there 
their  capital  city,  Tula,  and  building  up  an  empire 
of  four  million  souls.  They  were  not  a  warlike 
people,  but  loved  peaceful  ways,  devoting  them- 
selves to  the  cultivation  of  the  arts  and  the  more 
humble  sons  of  toil,  to  the  quiet  pursuits  of  agri- 
culture. Like  the  Pharaohs,  they  were  master 
builders,  and  attained  such  skill  that  their  name 
has  become  a  synonym  for  architecture.  They  dug 
into  the  earth,  developed  the  mines  and  turned  the 
metals  to  most  excellent  uses.  They  studied  the 
heavenly  bodies  and  wrought  out  a  complex  ar- 
rangement of  time  that  placed  them  far  in  advance 
of  their  age.  They  invented  a  system  of  hiero- 
glyphic writing  that  was  used  for  centuries,  and 
compares  favorably  with  the  clay  tablets  used  as 

37 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

letters  by  the  Babylonians,  and  now  unearthed  on 
the  banks  of  the  Tigris.  They  planted  cotton  and 
wove  for  themselves  clothes.  For  400  years  the 
Toltecs  prospered.  At  last  they  discovered  the 
drink  "pulque,"  a  most  injurious  intoxicant,  and 
that  marked  the  date  of  their  political  decline. 
They  were  soon  displaced  by  the  Chichimecas,  who 
organized  a  powerful  military  government.  These 
rude  sons  of  the  forest  lived  on  the  warpath  and 
thought  little  on  those  things  that  make  for  peace 
and  progress. 

The  Aztecs. 
Quickly  these  races  were  followed  by  others,  of 
which  the  Aztecs  were  the  principal  tribe.  Enter- 
ing the  country  from  the  northwest,  after  a  series 
of  wanderings,  they  came  to  the  shores  of  Lake 
Texcoco.  There  they  saw  perched  on  a  prickly 
pear  leaning  over  the  edge  of  the  water,  a  large 
eagle  vdth  a  serpent  in  his  talons,  and  with  his 
great  breast  open  to  the  rising  sun.  The  oracle 
declared  this  auspicious  omen  to  be  indicative  of 
the  will  of  the  gods  that  they  should  make  that 
spot  their  future  home,  and  so  they  did.  They 
built  by  the  lake,  huts  of  reeds  and  rushes  and  lived 
on  the  fish  of  the  waters  of  Texcoco.  These  new- 
comers were  the  lineal  descendants  of  the  native 
Indian  tribes  of  Mexico.  From  Tenochtilan  they 
pushed  the  limits  of  their  territory  toward  all  the 
cardinal  points  till  they  were  masters  of  the  entire 
country. 

38 


HISTORY. 

These  Aztecs  were  the  sternest  rehgionists, 
teaching  "three  states  of  future  existence:  (i) 
Where  those  with  no  other  merit  than  having  a 
natural  death  were  to  enjoy  a  negative  existence 
— everlasting  sleep.  (2)  Where  the  wicked  were 
to  suffer  in  everlasting  darkness  for  their  sins.  (3) 
Where  those  who  died  in  battle  or  by  sacrifice 
passed  immediately  with  songs  and  dances  intO'  the 
presence  of  the  sun  god."*  The  god  of»war,  Huit- 
zilopochtli,  was  the  central  figure  in  all  their  devo- 
tions, and  a  bloody  monster  he  was.  To  him 
was  erected  on  the  very  spot  where  now  stands  the 
cathedral  of  Mexico  City,  a  temple  known  as  the 
"Teocali,"  a  kind  of  pyramidal  structure  enclosed 
within  a  mighty  wall,  where  assembled  as  many 
as  40,000  on  feast  days.  Ahuitzotl  dedicated  the 
teocali  in  i486,  celebrating  the  occasion  by  the 
sacrifice  of  70,000  prisoners  of  war.  Terry  says 
that  they  were  formed  in  a  line  two  miles  long, 
and  that  the  sacrifice,  or  better  said,  the  butchery, 
consumed  two  days.  On  the  teocali  was  a  huge 
rock,  where  the  victims  were  flayed  alive.  Five 
priests  stretched  the  unfortunate  victim  upon  the 
convex  rock  while  the  sixth  cut  out  his  heart; 
and  while  yet  smoking,  it  was  cast  at  the  feet  of 
Huitzilopochtli.  Bishop  Zumarrago  calculated  that 
20,000  prisoners  were  thus  mercilessly  slaughtered 
each  year,  in  which  bloody  rites  ofificiated  50,000 
priests. 


Mexico  Coming  Into  Light. — ^Butler,   page  27. 

39 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

Finally,  there  arose  that  mighty  prophet  of  Az- 
tec mythology,  who  heralded  reform  measures,  as 
did  Confucius  in  China,  or  Buddha  in  India.  It 
was  Quetzalcoatl,  the  "Fair  God"  of  Lew  Wallace. 
He  came  from  Tlapallan,  the  distant  Orient  where 
he  had  been  a  high  priest.  With  long  hair  and 
flowing  beard,  he  was  ever  attended  with  song 
birds,  and  at  his  command  the  earth  teemed  with 
flowers  of  intoxicating  perfume,  fruits  and  most 
abundant  harvests.  The  ascetic  priest  raised  his 
voice  against  the  inhuman  butchery  of  prisoners, 
and  hurled  his  anathemas  at  the  heartless  god  of 
war.  He  established  houses  of  prayer,  taught  the 
people  to  do  penance,  to  till  the  land  and  to  turn 
from  their  warpaths  to  ways  of  industry  and  peace. 
His  crusade  made  for  him  a  mortal  enemy  in  Tez- 
catlipoca,  who  gave  him  a  drink  of  fK)ison  which 
well-nigh  bereft  him  of  his  reason,  and  the  pure- 
minded  prophet  went  out  to  wander,  followed  by 
his  song  birds.  At  last  he  embarked  on  a  boat 
made  of  entwined  snakes,  and  sailed  away  toward 
the  setting  sun,  promising  to  return  one  day  as  a 
white  man  to  wreak  vengeance  on  his  foes. 

The  Aztec  kingdom  touched  the  zenith  of  its 
glory  during  the  reign  of  Moctezuma,  who  was  on 
the  throne  when  Cortez  landed  at  Vera  Cruz, 
April  21,  1 5 19.  The  king  had  a  relay  system  of 
runners  or  couriers  throughout  his  realm,  who 
carried  hieroglyphic  messages  from  the  farther- 
most nook  of  the  land  to  the  royal  palace.     So 

40 


HISTORY. 

swift  were  these  that  it  is  said  that  fresh  fish  were 
served  on  the  king's  table  24  hours  after  they  had 
been  taken  from  the  gulf,  260  miles  distant.  No 
sooner  had  the  white  man  landed  than  these  cour- 
iers rushed  the  news  to  Moctezuma.  They  were 
sure  that  Quetzalcoatl  had  fulfilled  his  promise  to 
return,  and  their  hearts  quaked  at  the  thought. 

The  Spanish  Conquest. 

The  landing  of  Cortez  was  the  first  step  in  a 
series  which  resulted  at  last  in  the  utter  overthrow 
of  the  empire  of  the  Moctezumas.  With  a  daring 
seldom  equalled  and  never  surpassed,  he  sent  one 
of  his  ships  back  to  report  to  the  king  the  found- 
ing'of  the  new  kingdom  and  then  set  fire  to  all 
the  rest.  Nothing  perhaps  in  all  the  bold  exploits 
of  ancient  history  exceeded  the  fearless  resolution 
of  the  invader.  With  only  415  men  he  turned  his 
back  on  the  sunken  hulls  of  the  burned  ships,  thus 
cutting  off  all  hope  of  escape,  and  set  out  for 
Tenochtilan,  the  Aztec  capital,  where  lived  500,000 
souls,  and  representing  a  kingdom  of  four  or  five 
million  who  thirsted  for  human  blood.  All  these 
he  would  conquer  with  that  handful  of  415  men  on 
foreign  soil. 

And  precisely  that  he  did.  Openly  he  confessed 
that  he  had  a  disease  of  the  heart  which  only  gold 
could  cure,  and  driven  by  this  mad  thirst  for  the 
fabulous  wealth  of  the  new  world,  he  butchered 
and  burned  Aztecs  for  almost  two  years.     March- 

41 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

ing  toward  the  capital  he  made  friends  with  the 
Tetomacs,  who  joined  his  invading  forces.  Pass- 
ing through  the  Repiibhc  of  Tlaxcala  he  found 
tribes  hostile  to  Moctezuma  who  gladly  rallied  to 
the  Spanish  banner  to  seek  vengeance  on  their 
foes.  With  these  allies  Cortez  pushed  on  toward 
his  goal,  mercilessly  murdering  6,000  Indians  as 
he  neared  Tenochtilan.  Moctezuma  came  out  to 
meet  Cortez  with  all  the  gorgeous  equipage  that 
the  abounding  goid  and  precious  stones  of  his 
realm  could  invent.  His  attendants  bore  huge 
globes  of  gold  as  presents  to  the  conqueror,  beg- 
ging the  Spaniards  to  return  to  their  far-away 
land;  but  Cortez  had  come  with  a  passion  for  gold 
and  had  seen  enough  to  fan  that  zeal  into  a  very 
consuming  flame.  He  accepted  the  invitation  of 
Moctezuma  and  marched  into  the  capital,  his  sol- 
diers occupying  the  barracks  of  the  palace.  This 
royal  hospitality  the  Spaniards  reciprocated  with 
the  heartless  treachery  of  making  Moctezuma 
prisoner.  The  infuriated  populace  awoke  to  the 
full  intent  of  the  Spaniards  and  arose  with  a 
mighty  vengeance  to  drive  the  hated  "malinches" 
from  their  shores.  To  add  fuel  to  the  flame,  the 
Spaniards  stormed  the  "teocali"  and  robbed  the 
sacred  precincts  of  the  guarded  treasures.  All 
Tenochtilan  was  in  arms.  With  the  hope  of  quell- 
ing the  uprising,  Cortez  sent  Moctezuma  out  on 
the  roof  of  the  palace  to  entreat  the  crowds  to  dis- 
perse.     A   stray   arrow,    hurled   not   at   him,   but 

42 


HISTORY. 

aimed  at  one  of  the  Spaniards,  wounded  Mocte- 
zuma,  from  which  the  broken-hearted  king  died. 

The  situation  grew  worse  with  each  hour.  Fin- 
ally Cortez  counselled  his  men  to  gather  all  the 
gold  they  could  carry  and  follow  him.  Under  the 
cover  of  darkness  the  Spaniards  stole  through  the 
streets,  hoping  to  pass  unnoticed,  but  the  Aztecs 
spied  them,  and  before  they  could  pass  over  the 
lake,  the  whole  city  was  at  their  heels.  History 
has  called  it  "the  sad  night."  The  Indian  wreaked 
to  the  full  his  long  pent  up  fury.  Fully  three- 
fourths  of  the  Spaniards  and  4,000  allies  fell  to  red- 
den the  waters  of  Texcoco  with  their  blood. 
$2,000,000  was  lost  in  the  midnight  struggle.  The 
disaster  was  such  that  the  next  morning  even  the 
stone-hearted  Cortez  sat  on  the  shore  of  the  lake 
under  the  shade  of  a  tree  that  is  still  preserved  in 
Tacubaya,  and  wept  over  the  terrible  havoc.  His, 
however,  was  the  spirit  that  never  knows  when  it  is 
defeated.  He  withdrew  his  weakened  forces  to 
Tlaxcala  and  there  wintered.  The  following  spring 
he  laid  siege  to  Tenochtilan.  It  has  a  parallel  in 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  Titus,  when  "room 
was  wanting  for  crosses  and  crosses  for  carcasses." 
For  three  months  the  poor  Aztecs  awaited  their 
doom.  At  last  the  blow  fell  and  from  one  hundred 
to  two  hundred  thousand  were  massacred.  Some 
70,000  fled  to  the  open  country.  The  Spaniards 
remembered  the  "sad  night"  and  had  no  mercy. 

Thus  Mexico  passed  under  the  Spanish  yoke, 

43 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

and  it  was  iron  rule  for  three  hundred  years.  Un- 
der a  system  of  government  by  viceroys  appointed 
by  the  king,  the  tribes  were  reduced  to  practical 
slavery.  By  royal  decree  the  country  was  divided 
into  districts,  which  were  placed  under  the  care 
(?)  of  favorites  of  the  crown.  All  the  Indians  of 
those  sections  were  turned  over  to  them  to  be  edu- 
cated and  christianized.  Left  in  the  hands  of  the 
avaricious  Spaniards,  the  system  degenerated  into 
a  kind  of  peonage  that  was  abject  slavery.  Laws 
were  passed  forbidding  the  Indian  to  trade  with 
anyone  save  the  Spaniards  under  penalty  of  death. 
Everything  was  taxed,  even  to  the  religious  rites 
to  be  paid  by  the  devotees.  The  clergy,  the  mili- 
tary and  the  favored  Spaniards  were  subject  to  no 
tribunals  of  law.  Nothing  should  be  raised  in 
Mexico  that  Spain  could  produce.  "Vast  archi- 
tectural piles,  churches,  colleges,  convents,  mon- 
asteries crowded  each  other  in  every  city  and  in 
almost  every  village,  built  by  the  forced  and  unre- 
quited labor  of  the  timorous  converts."*  So  de- 
cimating was  the  dominating  rule  of  the  three 
hundred  years  that  the  population  of  the  ancient 
capital  was  reduced  to  8,000  souls.  They  were 
three  centuries  of  grossest  injustice,  brazen-faced 
bribery,  heart-sickening  corruption,  rapacious 
avarice,  a  story  of  wrongs  too  long  to  be  recited, 
till  at  last  the  yoke  became  too  galling  to  be  borne 
and  the  national  spirit  cried  out  for  life  and  liberty. 


•  New  Era  In   Old  Mexico. — Wlnton,   page  16. 

44 


HISTORY. 

Struggles  for  Independence. 

Don  Miguel  Hidalgo,  on  the  morning  of  Sep- 
tember 1 6,  1810,  rang  the  parish  bell  as  a  tocsin 
of  war,  and  with  the  "grito  de  Dolores"  (the  cry 
of  Dolores),  now  repeated  every  sixteenth  of  Sep- 
tember by  the  president  and  every  mayor  of  the 
RepubHc,  he  rallied  his  parishioners,  who  were 
fired  by  his  appeals  for  independence.  In  five  days 
he  had  gathered  20,000  Indians.  They  marched 
on  Guanajuato,  which  fell  into  their  hands,  with 
$5,000,000,  which  amount  better  prepared  them 
for  the  death '  struggle  which  was  now  on  in  dead 
earnest.  "On  to  Mexico"  was  the  cry,  and  it  was 
heeded.  Reaching  the  high  mountain  that  over- 
looks the  Capital  City,  the  revolutionists  halted. 
Hidalgo  realized  that  Calleja,  the  Spanish  viceroy, 
was  preparing  for  a  crushing  blow,  and  that  the 
well-diaciplined  and  thoroughly  organized  army  of 
the  crown  was  more  than  a  match  for  his  patriotic 
Indians,  without  either  arms  or  discipline.  To 
march  on  Mexico  City  and  storm  Chapultepec 
would  be  hardly  less  criminal  than  to  lay  the  head 
of  his  patriotic  army  on  the  block  ready  for  the 
executioner's  ax.  He  turned  northward,  with  the 
hope  of  being  able  to  reach  the  United  States, 
where  he  might  secure  the  needed  help  for  the 
coming  struggle.  The  royal  troops  lost  no  time. 
They  overtook  and  routed  Hidalgo,  who  was  be- 
trayed into  their  hands  and  shot.  His  head  was 
sent  back  to  Guanajuato,  and  hung  on  the  corner 

45 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

of  the  fort  he  had  taken.  There  it  remained  for 
ten  years.  Successively  arose  heroes  like  Morelos 
and  Guerrero,  who  taking  up  the  mantle  of  their 
fallen  leader,  did  nobly  for  the  cause  of  rising 
truth.  One  by  one  they  were  captured  and  shot, 
till  after  ten  years  of  blood  and  struggle,  Mexico 
was  declared  free. 

Since  then  the  country  has  passed  through  many 
local  revolutions  and  several  wars:  that  waged 
with  the  United  States  in  1846-48,  by  which  all  the 
territory  north  of  the  Rio  Grande  was  ceded  to 
the  United  States,  for  which  the  latter  were  to 
pay  fifteen  million  dollars;  that  with  France,  who, 
under  the  pretext  of  collecting  certain  moneys  due 
their  subjects,  organized  a  government  of  their 
own,  placing  Maximilian,  an  Austrian  prince,  on 
the  throne.  Led  by  the  "little  Indian"  Juarez,  the 
Mexican  forces  overthrew  the  self-imposed  mon- 
archy in  1863  and  condemned  Maximilian  to  be 
shot. 

The  Separation  of  Church  and  State. 

The  Reform  laws  passed  in  1874  separated 
church  and  state.  The  liberal  party  were  led  to 
victory  by  Juarez,  who  has  been  ranked  by  Victor 
Hugo  with  Abraham  Lincoln  in  point  of  courage 
and  far-sighted  statesmanship.  Though  forever 
anathematized  by  the  Romish  church  and  con- 
signed (?)  to  the  lowest  realms  of  the  bottomless 
pit,  he  is  loved  throughout  the  land  as  the  true 

46 


GENKRAI.     PdRFIKIO     UIAZ,     I'KKSI  DKNT     OF     MKXICO. 


HISTORY. 

emancipator  of  his  country.  The  reform  enact- 
ments declared  the  church  and  state  forever  sep- 
arate, granted  liberty  of  worship,  made  all  citizens, 
even  the  bishops  and  archbishops,  amenable  to  the 
laws  of  the  land,  established  marriage  as  a  civil 
contract  and  forbade  any  religious  body  the  right 
to  hold  property,  confiscating  the  vast  estates  and 
buildings  held  by  the  Catholic  church,  to  the 
amount  of  $90,000,000. 

The  Administration  of  Gen.  Porfirio  Diaz. 

General  Porfirio  Diaz  was  made  president  in 
1876,  and  with  a  short  interim  of  four  years,  he 
has  been  at  the  helm  of  state  all  through  these 
thirty-four  years,  leading  his  country  to  the  front 
rank  among  the  prosperous  nations  of  the  world. 
It  is  essentially  the  Mexico  of  Diaz,  a  land  solvent 
financially,  and  facing  a  future  rich  with  promise. 
While  the  national  debt  is  $380,000,000,  national 
credit  stands  with  the  best  at  all  the  American  and 
European  courts.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  $50,- 
000,000  had  been  expended  on  public  works  at 
the  close  of  the  years  1908-9,  the  reserves  of  avail- 
able cash  amounted  to  $82,566,825.  During  the 
same  year  the  revenue  receipts  were  $111,771,867, 
while  the  governmental  expenditures  were  only 
$93,177,441,  leaving  in  the  national  treasury  a  sur- 
plus of  $18,594,426,  a  net  gain  above  the  cost  of 
operating  the  various  departments  of  the  Repub- 
lic.    Can  many  nations  present  a  better  balance 

47 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

sheet?  The  principal  railroads  of  the  country  have 
been  merged  into  one  vast  system,  in  which  the 
government  owns  the  majority  of  the  share  capi- 
tal, placing  lines  5272  miles  long  under  federal 
control.  The  central  towns  of  the  Republic  are 
connected  by  a  network  of  telegraph  lines  45,000 
miles  long,  and  all  owned  by  the  government.  The 
Express  companies,  too,  have  passed  into  federal 
hands.  During  the  year  1908-9  the  imports  of  the 
nation  were  $156,504,447,  while  the  exports  were 
$231,101,795. 

While  according  to  the  census  of  1900  only  six- 
teen per  cent,  of  the  population  could  read  and 
write,  the  governmental  records  for  1907  report 
that  there  were  in  the  Republic  9710  schools  under 
Federal  control,  and  2230  private  schools.  These 
were  maintained  at  a  cost  of  $8,980,868.77.  The 
Mexican  Herald,  the  leading  English  daily  of  the 
Republic,  in  its  issue  of  December  26,  1909,  as- 
serted that  there  was  practically  one  school  for 
every  municipality  of  the  Republic,  and  that  fully 
one  million  children  were  attending  these  schools. 

In  Mexico  City  has  been  established  a  national 
library  with  205,000  volumes.  Scattered  over  the 
country  are  138  public  libraries,  33  museums  for 
scientific  purposes,  11  meteorological  observator- 
ies. The  spirit  of  enlightenment  has  been  encour- 
aged till  702  newspapers  are  issued,  of  which  the 
Imparcial,  of  Mexico  City,  is  the  leading  daily, 
with  a  circulation  of  75,000. 

48 


CHAPTER  IV. 

RELIGION. 

Baptized   Paganism. 

Cortez,  who  outraged  the  moral  sense  of  man- 
kind by  his  merciless  butchery  of  thousands  and 
thousands  of  innocent  Indians,  had  come  to  Mex- 
ico with  the  avowed  purpose  of  converting  the 
natives.  He  had  sailed  under  the  protection  of 
St.  John  and  St.  James.  On  his  standard  blazed  a 
red  cross  embroidered  with  gold.  He  led  the  way, 
and  in  the  wake  of  his  army  followed  the  Catholic 
priests,  who  would  help  turn  the  Aztec  kingdom  to 
the  Romish  faith.  The  military  leader  and  the 
spiritual  advisers  worked  hand  in  hand,  and  by 
sheer  force  of  arms  the  nation  accepted  the  new 
faith. 

Prescott  relates  one  of  the  many  times  when  at 
Cozmel  the  Indian  was  loathe  to  abandon  his  idols. 
Cortez  ordered  the  images  hurled  from  the  "Teo- 
cah"  or  temple  and  mass  to  be  said  to  the  crowds 
of' natives,  the  new  converts  (?)  to  Romanism.  In 
this  way,  adds  Prescott,  "they  demolished  in  a 
short  while  all  the  Aztec  temples,  great  and  small, 
so  that  not  a  vestige  of  them  remained."  Con- 
quered, but  not  convinced,  the  natives  became 
Catholics.  And  it  was  a  task  of  wholesale  con- 
version. To  teach  the  multitudes  a  few  phrases  of 
prayer  to  the  virgin,  sprinkle  over  them  the  holy 

49 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

water  sufficed,  they  said,  to  work  within  them  the 
transforming  regeneration  of  the  gospel.  The 
priests  boasted  that  their  ordinary  day's  work  was 
from  ten  to  twenty  thousand  souls.*  In  the  course 
of  a  few  years  after  the  reduction  of  the  Mexican 
empire,  the  sacrament  was  administered  to  more 
than  four  millions. 

General  Vicente  Palacio,  a  Mexican  historian, 
wrote  that  "the  people  conquered,  did  not  have 
even  a  remote  idea  of  Christian  doctrine  or  Cath- 
olic worship;  but  they  looked  upon  their  conver- 
sion to  that  doctrine  and  worship  as  a  necessary 
consequence  of  their  defeat  in  battle,  and  an  in- 
dispensable requisite  which  affirmed  their  vassal- 
age to  the  Spanish  monarch.  The  conquered  na- 
tives came  to  the  conclusion  that  conversion  and 
baptism  were  the  most  powerful  shield  behind 
which  to  protect  themselves  from  further  cruelties. 
They  therefore  entered  the  towns  en  masse,  ask- 
ing the  missionaries  to  baptize  them,  and  in  search 
of  the  precious  guarantees  of  life  and  Hberty.t  It 
was  this  that  forced  Humbolt,  the  great  traveler, 
to  admit  "that  the  introduction  of  the  Romish  re- 
ligion had  no  other  effect  on  the  Mexican  than  to 
substitute  new  ceremonies  and  symbols  for  the 
rites  of  a  sanguinary  worship.  Dogma  has  not 
succeeded  dogma,  but  ceremony  to  ceremony." 
Nor  is  Abbott's  commentary  unjust  "that  Chris- 


•  Mexico  In  Transition. — Butler,  page  11. 
tQuoted    In    Latin    America,    Brown,    pages    74,    75. 

50 


RELIGION. 

tianity,  instead  of  fulfilling  its  mission  of  enlighten- 
ing, converting  and  sanctifying  the  people,  was  it- 
self converted.  Paganism  was  baptized  and  Chris- 
tianity was  paganized." 

So  zealous  were  these  Castilian  kings  to  co-op- 
erate with  the  propagandists  of  the  new  faith  that 
laws  were  formulated  that  would  practically  drive 
the  Indian  into  the  Romish  fold.  For  example,  a 
law  was  enacted  making  only  Christian  children 
eligible  tO'  inherit  the  property  of  their  fathers. 
The  chiefs  were  given  the  right  to  compel  the 
members  of  his  tribe  to  accept  the  Catholic  faith. 
Thus  millions  flocked  to  the  religion  of  the  con- 
querors, though  still  pagans  at  heart  and  outright 
idolaters. 

All  this  recital  of  so-called  conversion  has  its 
counterpart  in  the  dreary  chapter  of  history,  when 
Islam  overran  Africa  and  at  the  point  of  the  sword 
made  the  unlettered  negroes  followers  of  Moham- 
med, till  the  whole  Sudan  looked  to  the  prophet  of 
Mecca  for  their  salvation.  Precisely  thus  did  the 
Spanish  iconoclasts  make  Mexico  Roman  Catholic. 
By  the  drawn  sword  of  steel  were  the  natives  won 
and  not  by  the  conviction  of  head  and  heart. 

This  method  of  conversion  by  force  of  arms  pro- 
duced '  a  church.  Christian  in  name  but  Aztec  in 
practice.  The  people  were  still  idolaters;  the  only 
difference  being  that  where  once  they  worshipped 
the  Aztec  idols  now  they  bowed  down  before  the 
innumerable     images    of    the     Roman     Catholic 

51 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

Church.  The  Indian  rites  of  worship  were  not 
one  whit  more  idolatrous  than  the  Romish  system 
of  saint  worship.  Hon.  Matias  Romero,  who  was 
for  quite  a  while  the  Mexican  minister  to  the 
United  States,  says,  "It  is  true  that  a  great  many 
Mexicans,  namely  the  Indians,  do  not  know  much 
about  their  religion  and  keep  to  their  old  idolatry, 
having  only  changed  their  idols,  that  is,  replaced 
their  old  deities  with  the  images  of  the  Catholic 
Church."  Latin  America-Brown  page  53. 

Dr.  F.  S.  Borton,  of  the  Methodist  Theological 
Seminary,  of  Puebla,  writes,  "The  bulk  of  the  eight 
or  ten  millions  of  Indians  here  are  but  thinly  white- 
washed pagan  idolaters  in  spirit  and  practice, 
though  not  in  name,  because  they  are  not  only 
image  worshippers  as  to  the  saints  and  the  virgin, 
but  they  actually  worship  stones  and  pray  to  them, 
offering  them  fruit  and  food  and  fearing  their  dis- 
pleasure."* He  tells  of  an  interview  with  a  priest 
in  the  mountains  of  that  state,  who  told  him  that 
he  once  had  occasion  to  take  in  pieces  a  large 
cross  that  the  Indians  were  worshipping,  and 
found  that  it  contained  a  large  stuffed  owl,  the 
Indian  symbol  of  an  evil  spirit.  It  was  this  that 
they  had  been  secretly  worshipping  and  not  the 
Cross.  Lightning  struck  a  church  near  Puebla 
and  rent  in  twain  the  large  image  of  the  virgin, 
and  lo  it  was  a  pagan  idol  of  stone,  one  of  the 


•  Materialistic    and    Idolatrous    Worship    In    Mexico. — Mrs.    Butler, 
pas*  S. 


52 


RELIGION. 

ancient  goddesses  of  the  Aztecs.  Campbell  tells 
of  feasts  of  the  Catholics,  where  the  dance  of  the 
natives  is  the  very  same  as  that  of  the  Aztecs  be- 
fore the  Teocali,  facts  that  missionaries  see  for 
themselves  year  after  year. 

Romish  Idolatry. 

This  idolatry  has  corrupted  the  entire  Catholic 
body.  Not  only  the  ignorant  Indian,  but  the  high- 
er classes  with  Spanish  blood  in  their  veins,  have 
gone  after  idols.  The  whole  land  is  given  to  idol- 
atry. Mrs.  J.  W.  Butler,  for  thirty-five  years  mis- 
sionary in  Mexico,  has  calculated  that  in  the 
churches  alone  there  are  250,000  images.  This 
says  nothing  of  those  in  the  homes.  One  can  count 
as  many  as  25  at  times  in  a  single  little  cottage. 
With  a  population  of  fifteen  million  souls,  the  read- 
er can  make  an  approximate  estimate  of  the  num- 
ber of  idols  in  the  Republic.  It  is  not  so  diflficult 
to  find  gods  of  wood  and  stone  in  Mexico  as  in 
Athens,  and  yet  the  philosophers  used  to  affirm 
that  men  were  more  scarce  than  gods.  There  they 
were  on  every  street  corner.  In  Mexico  they 
abound  in  all  the  homes.  Like  Ephesus  with  its 
silversmiths  who  plied  the  sale  of  the  tiny  images 
of  the  goddess  of  Diana,  every  town  of  Mexico  has 
its  image  makers,  and  it  is  the  same  paying  trade. 

The  virgin  of  Guadalupe  is  the  patroness  of  the 
Mexicans,  and  in  all  the  homes  and  churches  may 
be  seen  facsimiles  of  her  image,  which  hangs  in 
the  cathedral  erected  to  her  honor  in  the  suburbs 

53 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

of  Mexico  City.  The  original  image  was  miracu- 
lously (?)  given.  The  story  runs  thus.  Saturday 
morning,  Dec.  8,  1531,  an  ignorant  Indian  named 
Juan  Diego,  was  passing  the  rugged  hill  of  Tep- 
ayac,  where  nothing  but  cactus  grew.  Suddenly 
he  heard  entrancing  strains  of  celestial  music,  and 
about  him  shone  a  light  so  glorious  that  the  very 
rocks  seemed  masses  of  opal,  sapphire  and  bur- 
nished gold.  Drawing  near,  he  beheld  a  lady  of 
angelic  form  and  face.  It  was  the  virgin  Mary. 
She  charged  him  to  tell  the  bishop  to  build  there 
on  that  very  spot  a  magnificent  temple  to  her 
honor.  Juan  obeyed,  but  the  bishop  was  incredu- 
lous, even  after  the  third  appearance  and  the  same 
commission.  At  last  she  gave  Juan  a  sign.  She 
told  him  to  climb  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  as  barren 
as  a  rock,  and  there  he  would  find  most  exquisite 
roses  blooming.  He  should  cut  and  carry  them  to 
the  bishop.  Carefully  he  folded  the  flowers  in  his 
mantle  and  took  them  to  the  prelate.  Reaching 
his  presence  and  unfolding  his  "tilda,"  behold  there 
painted  on  the  blanket  was  a  life  size  picture  of  the 
virgin.  Far  and  wide  spread  the  news,  and  every- 
where the  image  was  accepted  as  a  direct  gift  from 
heaven.  The  virgin  had  shown  special  favor  to  the 
nation.  She  had  not  dealt  so  with  any  other 
people. 

Those  high  in  ecclesiastical  authority  begged 
the  pope  to  recognize  the  apparition  of  the  virgin. 
He  referred  the  matter  to  the  Congregation  of 

54 


THE    VIRGIN    OF    GUADALUPE. 


RELIGION. 

Rites  for  full  investigation  (?),  and  at  last,  in  1754, 
he  set  his  seal  of  authority  to  the  veracity  of  the 
Indian's  story,  and  granted  plenary  indulgence  in 
the  hour  of  death  to  every  one  who  should  have 
upon  his  person  one  of  the  medals  of  "Our  Lady 
Guadalupe."  Benedict  XIV  declared  from  the 
Vatican  the  absolute  truthfulness  of  the  appear- 
ance and  gave  a  ritual  of  devotion  to  be  used  in 
the  celebration  of  the  mass.  W.  E.  Curtis,  special 
commissioner  from  the  United  States  to  Mexico, 
wrote  that,  "according  to  the  story,  the  portrait 
is  stamped  on  the  blanket  of  the  shepherd,  and 
that  the  Catholics  of  Mexico  believe.  But  a  close 
examination  reveals  the  fact  that  it  is  done  in  oil 
colors  and  upon  an  ordinary  piece  of  canvas,  and 
that  the  pigments  peal  off  like  those  of  any  other 
poorly  executed  piece  of  work."*  Yet  this  is  the 
basis  of  the  devotion  of  the  millions  that  look  to 
Mary  as  the  savior  of  sinners. 

The  villa  of  Guadalupe,  where  stands  the  church 
honored  with  the  presence  of  the  image,  is  the 
Mecca  of  all  devout  Mexicans.  "The  ceremony  of 
transferring  the  image  from  the  cathedral  of  Mex- 
ico was  one  of  the  most  gorgeous  in  all  the  relig- 
ious history  of  Mexico.  All  the  ecclesiastical  and 
civil  authorities,  the  students,  foreign  ministers, 
monks  and  nuns  formed  in  the  procession  and  the 
church  bells  rang  for  days."*  Every  year  the  faith- 
ful pilgrims  come  from  all  parts  of  the  country  by 

♦Capitals  of  South  America,  pag'e  21. 

55 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

the  hundreds  of  thousands,  some  tramping  hun- 
dreds of  miles  and  carrying  their  children  on  their 
backs. 

This  is  the  basis  for  the  religion  of  Mexico.  The 
virgin  Mary  has  come  to  dwell  among  the  Mexi- 
cans. They  would  place  Juan's  story  along  by  the 
side  of  any  book  of  the  divinely  inspired  Word  of 
God.  Mary  has  come  to  pardon  and  save.  And 
the  little  facsimile  image  of  the  original  picture  is 
worshipped  and  given  their  supreme  devotion.  She 
is  the  patroness  of  Mexico.  She  is  mighty  to  save. 
Is  this  the  gospel  of  Him  who  said,  "I  am  the  way, 
the  truth  and  the  life.  No  man  cometh  unto  the 
Father  but  by  Me"? 

Besides  this  image,  each  locality  has  its  patron 
saint.  These  have  fallen  from  the  sky  or  have  ap- 
peared in  some  miraculous  way.  These  are  recog- 
nized as  intercessors  of  great  power  at  the  throne 
of  God.  From  them,  blessings  are  sought,  and 
when  granted,  the  suppliant  makes  a  pilgrimage 
carrying  a  gift.  One  has  lost  his  donkey,  and 
when  the  saint  restores  the  animal,  the  owner  goes 
with  a  little  donkey  of  silver  as  an  expression  of 
his  gratitude.  Another  begs  that  his  wounded  leg 
be  healed,  and  presents  a  tiny  silver  leg.  Poorer 
pilgrims  carry  candles.  Some  have  appeared  in 
the  farms  of  individuals  and  are  their  property. 
Others  belong  to  local  churches.  They  are  a  sure 
source  of  income  and  it  is  not  strange  that  they 
are  constantly  falling  from  heaven  (?).     Saint  Be- 

56 


RELIGION. 

nito  will  serve  as  example  of  others  whose  name 
is  legion.  To  the  black  image  prayers  are  direct- 
ed. The  following  is  taken  from  the  "nine  days' 
prayer":  "Look  down  upon  the  long  vista  of  liv- 
ing exiles  in  this  vale  of  tears  who  are  lost  to  God. 
Unite  thy  supplications  with  those  of  the  chorus 
of  holy  virgins  and  OBTAIN  THE  PARDON 
OF  MY  SINS."  The  original  image  is  covered 
with  ribbons.  If  a  wife  has  a  husband  that  she 
does  not  love,  she  measures  him  with  a  ribbon 
while  he  is  asleep  and  hangs  the  ribbon  on  the 
saint,  making  the  prayer  that  he  will  bring  about 
the  speedy  death  of  the  husband.  It  is  currently 
believed  that  it  is  effectual.  Like  all  famous  saints, 
paintings  of  this  wonderful  black  image  are  sold 
in  the  market.  These  are  bought  and  carried  on 
the  person  of  the  purchaser. 

Besides  these  special  saints  numbering  hundreds 
of  thousands,  scattered  over  the  country,  whose 
pictures  are  hung  up  in  the  homes  and  worshipped 
every  day,  each  family  will  have  its  favorite  saint 
and  even  each  member  of  the  household.  There  is 
no  end  to  the  number  of  saints. 

To  escape  the  charge  of  idolatry,  they  tell  us 
that  they  do  not  worship  the  images,  that  these 
visible  representations  help  them  to  adore  the  in- 
visible spiritual  beings.  First  of  all,  let  it  be  said 
that  whatever  be  the  purpose,  the  practice  is  a 
positive  transgression  of  the  command  not  to 
make  idols  of  anything  in  the  heavens  or  on  earth. 

57 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

And  if  it  were  true  that  the  Romanists  looked  be- 
yond the  image  to  the  invisible  being-,  and  to  these 
celestial  creatures  directed  their  prayers,  that  too, 
is  a  direct  violation  of  the  divine  injunction  to 
worship  the  Lord  God  and  Him  alone.  But  the 
unvarnished  truth  is,  these  people  do  worship  the 
very  image  before  their  eyes.  Our  converts  con- 
fess that  prior  to  their  conversion  they  did  look 
to  the  image,  the  piece  of  wood,  stone  or  paper. 
They  did  expect  them  to  answer  their  prayers. 
And  that  the  accusation  is  true  the  facts  we  are 
witnessing  every  day  attest.  San  Antonio  is  the 
patron  saint  of  the  neighboring  village.  He  is 
a  small  doll-like  creature.  During  a  distressing 
drought  not  long  ago,  his  devotees  cried  to  him 
for  rain.  They  waited  at  his  feet  for  the  refresh- 
ing showers,  but  the  dry  earth  parched  more  and 
more.  And  the  skies  became  more  brazen.  The 
people  became  angry  at  San  Antonio  and  decided 
to  punish  him.  To  do  so  they  took  him  from  his 
favorite  corner  of  the  chapel  and  sent  him  far 
away  to  a  strange  chapel,  and  to  humble  him  still 
more,  hung  him  on  the  wall  with  his  head  down- 
ward. While  these  lines  are  written,  a  friend  tells 
how  she  used  to  shut  up  in  her  trunk  her  many 
little  saints  or  gods  to  punish  them  when  she  got 
angry  with  them.  Another  tells  how  she  would 
whip  them,  hang  them  out  in  the  rain,  etc.  What 
does  all  this  mean  but  that  the  thought  of  the 
Catholics  is 'centered  on  the  little  image,  and  not 

58 


RELIGION. 

on  the  heavenly  being  represented.  And  to  see 
the  devoted  Romanists  press  tightly  to  their 
bosom  the  images  with  fond  caresses  and  kisses, 
affords  proof  unanswerable  that  the  material  thing 
is  the  object  of  their  love  and  worship. 

The  sane,  solemn,  stubborn  fact,  proved  by  the 
religious  conditions  reigning  anywhere  and  every- 
where, reinforced  by  the  unbroken  testimony  of 
missionaries  who  spend  scores  of  years  living  and 
moving  in  personal  touch  with  the  very  heart  of 
the  people,  making  no  allowance  for  the  occasional 
verdict  of  the  globe-trotters  who  go  through  the 
country  on  fast  flying  express  trains,  is  that  Ro- 
man Catholicism  of  Mexico  is  not  one  whit  less 
idolatrous  than  the  gross  idol  worship  that  stirred 
the  soul  of  Paul  on  the  streets  of  Athens,  or  that 
is  seen  in  the  far  East  today. 

A  Christless  Religion. 

From  the  conditions  above  named,  result  as  in- 
evitably as  night  follows  day,  a  Christless  religion. 
Crosses  abound,  on  hill  tops,  on  church  spires,  on 
homes,  on  mounds  by  the  way,  but  the  Christ  of 
the  cross  is  a  Stranger  to  the  people.  Their  su- 
preme thought  is  fixed  on  the  "Queen  of  heaven," 
whose  heart,  they  say,  being  that  of  a  woman,  is 
more  tender  than  that  of  Christ,  and  for  that  rea- 
son they  appeal  to  her  and  not  to  Him.  And  He 
being  her  Son  cannot  deny  her  whatsoever  she 
may  ask  for  her  devotees.     It  sounds  most  logical 

59 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

to  the  soul  totally  ignorant  of  the  life  and  words 
of  the  Master,  who  passed  through  the  world  al- 
ways heeding  the  cries  of  the  blind,  lame,  broken- 
hearted, and  weeping  with  the  Marys  and  the 
Marthas,  and  was  ever  calling  over  life's  wild,  rest- 
less sea  to  humanity,  heavy  hearted  and  foot-sore 
in  the  ways  of  sin,  "Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that 
labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you 
rest." 

"The  two  most  popular  books  which  the  Roman 
Catholics  use  are  'The  Litany  of  the  Dolorous 
Virgin  Mary,'  and  the  'Glories  of  Mary.'  These 
books  contain  ascriptions  to  the  virgin  of  nearly 
every  attribute  of  the  Almighty  God;  but  the  cli- 
max is  reached  when  she  is  represented  as  having, 
by  an  act  of  the  divine  Father,  superseded  the 
adorable  Savior,  as  being  more  tender-hearted  to- 
ward the  sinner  than  He  can  be.  It  is  expressly 
taught  in  these  books  of  devotion  that  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  has  assumed  the  administration  of 
justice  and  punishment  toward  men,  and  resigned 
to  her  the  functions  of  grace  and  mercy.  So  the 
poor,  misguided  souls  are  taught  to  transfer  their 
appeals  and  hope  to  her  in  such  prayers  as  these : 
'O  Mary,  we  poor  sinners  know  no  refuge  but  in 
thee.  Thou  art  our  only  Hope.  To  thee  we  in- 
trust our  salvation.'  This  shocking  inversion  of 
the  gospel  is  then  wound  up  in  a  grand  doxology, 
putting  her  on  an  equality  with  the  adorable  Trin- 
ity, at  which  I  tremble  as  I  copy  it :  T  salute  thee, 

60 


RELIGION. 

O  great  Mediatrix  of  peace  between  God  and  man. 
O  mother  of  Jesus,  or  •  Lord  and  love  of  all  men 
and  of  God,  to  thee  be  honor  and  blessing  with 
the  Father  and  the  Holy  Spirit.'  "* 

Mariolatry — the  worship  of  the  Virgin  mother 
— and  not  Christology,  has  become  the  religion  of 
the  people.  Their  hope  of  pardon  rests  with  her, 
and  the  innumerable  army  of  saints  that  do  her 
bidding.  If  Christ  has  a  place  in  their  theology, 
He  is  SO'  far  removed  from  the  worshippers,  by 
means  of  the  orders  of  saints,  angels,  archangels 
and  the  virgin,  that  He  is  no  longer  Mediator. 
The  only  Christ  known  to  them  is  the  babe  Jesus 
lying  helpless  in  its  mother's  arms,  the  Christ  dead 
on  the  cross,  or  ghastly  dead  in  the  grave.  He  is 
always  thorn-crowned,  "blood  in  streams,  and 
black  clots  and  cakes  covers  His  forehead  and 
face,  and  fills  His  eyes  and  mouth  and  nostrils," 
streams  of  blood  drip  down  from  His  limbs,  with 
spear-thrusts  in  His  side,  and  the  great  open 
gashes  in  His  hands  and  feet  made  by  the  spikes 
that  nailed  Him  to  the  accursed  cross,  His  eyes 
turned  heavenward,  with  unspeakable  agony  and 
horror  written  over  His  countenance.  For  ten 
years  we  have  gone  out  and  in  among  the  Mexican 
Catholics,  and  not  once  can  we  recall  seeing  any 
sign  or  symbol  of  the  Christ  enthroned  and  crown- 
ed with  glory  and  honor  at  the  right  hand  of  the 
Father.     They  have  erased  from  their  creed  the 


•  Mexico  In  Transition. — Butler,  page  60. 

6i 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

doctrine  of  the  ever-living  and  pardoning  Savior 
who  has  opened  the  way  of  access  into  the  pres- 
ence of  the  reconciled  Father,  where  there  is  sal- 
vation full  and  free.  The  gospel  of  the  Christ, 
resurrected  and  bringing  abundant  pardon,  glad 
hope,  sweet  peace  and  triumphant  power,  has  been 
placed  under  the  ecclesiastical  ban  of  Romanism, 
and  the  spiritual  destitution  seems  vocal  with  the 
hopeless  wail  of  Mary  in  the  garden  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  resurrection :  "They  have  taken  away 
my  Lord  and  I  know  not  where  they  have  laid 
him."  Is  there  hope  for  those  who  thus  rid  the 
gospel  of  its  Christ  and  crown  Mary  queen  of  all? 

A  False  System  of  Salvation  Through  Good  Works. 

With  the  Roman  Catholics  of  Mexico,  not  by 
faith  in  the  atoning  blood  of  the  Lamb  of  God, 
are  they  to  be  saved,  but  by  deeds  of  self-torture, 
even  to  the  shedding  of  one's  own  blood.  These 
are  the  shibboleths  that  admit  the  souls  through 
the  gates  of  glory.  The  bodies  are  mortified  by 
prolonged  fasting  or  sleeping  on  beds  without 
mattresses.  Ladies  wear  around  their  waists  cords 
of  horse  hair  or  pricking  ixtle  till  the  blood  oozes 
from  the  body.  During  the  holy  seasons  a  band 
of  netted  iron  with  points  is  worn  next  to  the  skin. 
Every  parish  has  its  "exercises"  into  which  the 
most  faithful  are  admitted  during  the  nine  days 
preceding  holy  week.  In  the  larger  towns  as 
many  as  a  thousand  will  enter  these  "ejercicios." 

62 


CRUWN'KI)    WITH    THORNS,    UUING     I'V.SAKCE    U-\     lliiR    KNEES. 


SCOURGES     USED    IN    DOING    PENANCE. 


RELIGION. 

They  eat  cold  bread,  sleep  on  the  bare  floor  and 
flog  their  body  with  scourges.  These  whip  cords 
of  penance  are  horse-hair  ropes  with  knotted 
thongs  at  the  ends,  or  iron  chains,  on  every  second 
or  third  link  of  which  are  pieces  of  iron  with  sharp 
points.  The  penitent  throws  these  over  the  shoul- 
ders from  each  side,  driving  these  little  spikes  into 
the  flesh  and  bringing  out  blood  in  profusion. 
Penance  is  most  meritorious  where  the  devotees 
will  crawl  for  miles  on  their  bare  knees  to  the 
shrine  of  some  famous  saint  to  leave  on  the  rocks 
behind  the  imprint  of  their  bleeding  knees. 

The  following  testimony  is  taken  from  the  pen 
of  Madame  Calderon,  the  wife  of  the  first  Spanish 
Ambassador  to  Mexico.  She  was  a  Romanist. 
"The  other  night  I  was  present  at  a  much  stranger 
scene,  at  the  discipline  performed  by  the  men,  ad- 
mission having  been  procured  for  us  by  certain 
means,  private  but  powerful.  Accordingly,  when 
it  was  dark,  enveloped  from  head  to  foot  in  large 
cloaks,  and  without  the  slightest  idea  of  what  it 
was,  we  went  through  the  streets  to  the  church  of 
San  Augustine.  The  scene  was  curious.  About 
one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  enveloped  in  cloaks, 
their  faces  entirely  concealed,  were  assembled  in 
the  body  of  the  church.  A  monk  had  just  mount- 
ed the  pulpit.  His  discourse  was  a  rude  but  very 
forcible  description  of  the  torments  prepared  for 
impenitent  sinners.  The  effect  of  the  whole  was 
very  solemn.     It   appeared   like   the   preparation 

63 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

or  the  execution  of  a  multitude  of  condemned 
criminals.  When  the  discourse  was  finished  they 
all  joined  in  prayer  with  much  fervor  and  enthusi- 
asm, beating  their  breasts  and  falling  upon  their 
faces.  Then  the  monk  stood  up  and  read  several 
passages  of  scripture  descriptive  of  the  sufferings 
of  Christ.  The  organ  then  struck  up  the  Miserere, 
and  all  of  a  sudden  the  church  was  plunged  in  pro- 
found darkness,  all  but  a  sculptured  representa- 
tion of  the  crucifixion,  which  seemed  to  hang  in 
the  air  illuminated.  I  felt  rather  frightened  and 
would  have  been  glad  to  leave  the  church,  but  it 
would  have  been  impossible  in  the  darkness.  Sud- 
denly a  terrible  voice  in  the  dark  cried,  'My  broth- 
ers, when  Christ  was  fastened  to  the  pillar  by  the 
Jews,  He  was  scourged.'  At  these  words  the 
bright  figure  disappeared  and  the  darkness  became 
total.  Suddenly  we  heard  the  sound  of  hundreds 
of  scourges  descending  upon  the  bare  flesh.  I  can 
not  conceive  of  anything  more  horrible.  Before 
ten  minutes  had  passed  the  sound  became  splash- 
ing, from  the  blood  that  was  flowing.  Incredible 
as  it  may  seem,  this  awful  penance  continued  for 
half  an  hour  and  without  intermission. 

We  could  not  leave  the  church,  but  it  was  per- 
fectly sickening,  and  had  I  not  been  able  to  take 
hold  of 'the  Sefiora's  hand  and  feel  something  hu- 
man beside  me,  I  could  have  fancied  myself  trans- 
ported into  a  congregation  of  evil  spirits.  Now 
and   then,  but  very  seldom,   a  suppressed   groan 

64 


RELIGION. 

was  heard,  and  occasionally  the  voice  of  the  monk 
encouraged  them  by  ejaculations  or  by  short  pass- 
ages of  Scripture.  Sometimes  the  organ  struck  up 
and  the  poor  wretches,  in  a  faint  voice,  tried  to 
join  the  Miserere.  The  sound  of  the  scourging  is 
indescribable.  At  the  end  of  half  an  hour,  a  little 
bell  was  rung  and  the  voice  of  the  monk  was  heard 
calling  upon  them  to  desist;  but  such  was  their  en- 
thusiasm that  the  horrible  lashing  continued  louder 
and  more  fierce  than  ever. 

In  vain  he  entreated  them  not  to  kill  themselves, 
and  assured  them  that  heaven  would  be  satisfied, 
and  that  human  nature  could  not  endure  beyond 
a  certain  point.  No  answer  but  the  loud  sound  of 
scourges,  which  are,  many  of  them,  of  iron,  with 
sharp  points  that  enter  the  flesh.  At  length,  as  if 
they  were  perfectly  exhausted,  the  sound  grew 
fainter,  and  little  by  little  ceased  altogether.  .  .  . 
They  say  that  the  church  floor  is  frequently  cov- 
ered with  blood  after  one  of  those  penances,  and 
that  the  other  day  a  man  died  from  the  wounds 
received. 

In  the  Santa  Teresa  convent,  they  showed  us  a 
crown  of  thorns,  worn  by  one  of  them  by  way  of 
penance.  It  is  made  of  iron,  so  that  the  nails,  en- 
tering inward,  run  into  the  head  and  make  it 
bleed.  We  visited  the  cells  and  were  horror  struck 
at  the  self-inflicted  tortures.  Each  bed  consisted 
of  a  wooden  plank  raised  in  the  middle,  and  on 
days  of  penance  crossed  by  wooden  bars.    The  pil- 

65 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

low  is  wooden.  The  nun  lies  on  this  penitential 
couch  embracing  the  cross.  Round  her  waist  she 
wears  a  band  with  iron  points  turning  inward;  on 
her  breast  a  cross  with  nails  of  which  the  points 
enter  the  flesh.  Thus  after  having  scourged  her- 
self with  a  whip  covered  with  iron  nails,  she  lies 
down  a  few  hours  on  the  wooden  bars  and  rises 
at  four  o'clock."* 

A  Religion  Without  Spirituality. 
Little  or  no  account  is  taken  of  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments. The  Sabbath  is  the  high  day  of  the 
week,  when  all  the  surrounding  country  comes  to 
buy  or  sell.  The  market  place  is  usually  in  front 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  The  buyers  en- 
ter to  recite  their  prayers  to  some  saint,  and  come 
out  to  make  their  purchases  for  the  week.  On 
that  day  the  bull  fight  draws  its  largest  crowd. 
With  hundreds  of  thousands  the  Seventh  Com- 
mandment is  a  dead  letter.  The  most  pious  (?) 
will  use  the  name  of  God  in  an  ordinary  conversa- 
tion in  such  a  way  that  it  will  make  one's  ear  tin- 
gle. The  birth  of  the  Savior  will  be  celebrated 
and  the  festivities  close  with  an  elegant  wine  sup- 
per and  a  great  ball,  that  will  last  till  early  morn- 
ing. The  bull  fighter  has  his  favorite  saint,  and  if 
he  is  mortally  wounded  the  priest  confesses  him 
and  gets  him  ready  for  heaven  (?).  The  bartender 
is  not  barred  from  entering  the  innermost  circle 
of  the  pious  Romanists.     In  our  town  the  leading 

•  Life  In  Mexico.     Calderon  de  la  Barca,  pagre  213. 

66 


RELIGION. 

liquor  dealer  is  one  of  the  most  faithful  of  the  par- 
ish. It  is  not  unusual  to  see  the  image  of  the 
favorite  saint  hanging  over  the  bar  where  is  dealt 
out  day  and  half  the  night  the  accursed  drink  that 
sends  men  staggering  into  a  drunkard's  grave  and 
a  drunkard's  hell.  Souls  will  kneel  in  the  church 
and  say  their  prayers,  and  all  the  while  watch  the 
passersby,  as  the  Tibetan  sets  his  prayer  wheel 
going  and  goes  off  on  a  hunt,  expecting  his  pray- 
ers to  ascend  with  each  revolution  of  the  wheel. 

Of  Mexico  it  has  been  said,  and  at  heart  she  is 
still  the  same,  "The  canonization  of  a  saint,  the 
dedication  of  a  church,  the  concession  of  a  privi- 
lege to  some  religious  community,  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  bishop  were  observed  as  feasts,  with  bull 
fights,  masquerades  and  comedies,  which  were  at- 
tended by  the  archbishop  and  the  principal  ecclesi- 
astical dignitaries."  The  church  of  Guadalupe, 
where  hangs  the  image  of  the  virgin,  is  the  Mecca 
of  Meccas,  and  ought  to  be  the  holiest  spot  on 
Mexican  soil.  Of  the  religious  rites  practiced 
there,  the  Rev.  H.  W.  Brown  writes,  "Often  have 
the  Indians,  dressed  in  native  costume,  danced 
their  old  sacred  dances  before  the  altar  within  the 
temple.  Without,  the  town  was  crowded  with 
Indians,  and  at  many  of  the  booths  some  were 
drinking  and  others  gambling,  while  under  the 
cover  of  darkness  worse  vices  were 'practiced.  So 
great  has  been  the  scandal  that  one  caustic  Mexi- 
can remarked  that  the  trinity  worshipped  there 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

were  Venus,  Bacchus  and  Birjan."*  If  holy  week 
is  the  hoHest  of  the  year,  its  influence  should  be 
manifest  in  the  life  of  the  people.  Of  the  one  just 
passed,  the  leading  daily  of  the  Capital,  the  Mexi- 
can Herald,  remarks :  "Holy  week  greatly  increas- 
ed the  work  of  the  courts  and  the  police  depart- 
ment. Last  Friday  alone,  the  fourth  correctional 
court  received  ninety-nine  cases;  of  these,  seventy- 
four  had  resulted  in  bloodshed.  Of  the  latter, 
fifty-three  had  to  be  removed  to  the  Juarez  hos- 
pital. The  other  courts  received  large  numbers  of 
infractions  of  the  law.  It  is  stated  that  the  record 
of  holy  week  this  year  is  higher  than  for  the  ten 
previous  years." 

A  Mercenary  Religion. 
Roman  CathoHcism  is  a  most  cunningly  devised 
scheme  to  extort  money  from  its  votaries.  In 
1850,  when  the  Reform  Laws  were  passed,  the 
wealth  of  the  church  in  Mexico  was  $30x3,000,000.+ 
One-third  of  all  the  wealth  of  the  country  was 
theirs.  The  archbishop  alone  had  an  annual  in- 
come of  $100,000,  that  of  Puebla  $100,000,  and  so 
on  down  the  scale.  The  income  of  the  national 
church  was  $30,000,000  annually.  The  nuns  alone 
drew  $810,000  from  their  investments.  Licenses 
for  sin  were  sold.  The  "bull  of  composition"  was 
an  enactment  by  which  any  one  having  stolen 
goods  needed  not  to  return  them  if  he  bought  a 
spiritual  license;  and  not  to  allow  too  much  steal- 


•Latln   America,   Brown,   p.    109. 

tM«xlco  ComliiK  Into  Light,   Butler,   p.   57. 

68 


RELIGION. 

ing,  the  right  was  limited  to  fifty  each  year.* 
Waddy  Thompson  said  that  he  would  not  give  in 
exchange  the  Roman  Catholic  financial  system,  its 
doctrines  of  purgatory  and  its  power  to  get  money 
from  the  people,  for  the  power  of  taxation  of  any 
government  on  earth.  He  wrote  of  what  he  had 
seen  during  his  stay  in  Mexico  as  Ambassador  of 
the  United  States. 

Raffles  for  souls  are  held  in  the  churches.  It  is 
a  lottery  plan  to  get  souls  out  of  purgatory  (?). 
From  an  announcement  of  one  of  these,  posted  on 
a  church  door,  a  copy  of  which  lies  before  us 
as  we  write,  we  take  the  following  data:  To  at- 
tract the  attention  of  the  devoted,  the  notice  has 
printed  in  large  letters,  "Grand  Rafifle  for  Souls." 
For  a  specified  sum  tickets  are  sold  and  the  holder 
is  entitled  to  a  chance  in  the  final  drawing  of  the 
lottery.  The  person  who  should  receive  the  lucky 
number,  would  'get  the  benefit  of  the  mass  which 
would  bring  their  loved  ones  out  of  the  terrible 
fires  of  purgatory.  The  scale  of  dates  and  prices 
are  given,  closing  with  an  exhortation  to  the  faith- 
ful to  think  on  this  golden  opportunity  to  rescue 
the  loved  one  from  the  sufferings  of  the  lower 
world.  It  is  not  strange  that  Father  Gavassi 
should  style  the  dogma  of  purgatory  the  El  Do- 
rado of  the  priest,  the  best  gold  mine  of  the  papal 
system.  Baptisms,  prayers  for  the  dead,  marriages, 
special  masses,  etc.,  etc.,  etc.,  are  all  sources  of 


Mexico  Coming  Into  Light. — Butler,  page  56. 
69 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

revenue  for  the  church.  The  devotees  must  bring 
their  gifts  to  the  innumerable  saints,  all  of  which 
goes  into  the  pocket  of  the  holy  (?)  father.  Each 
district  of  the  town  competes  to  see  which  will 
carry  up  to  the  church  the  largest  quantity  of 
candles,  all  of  which  are  sold,  and  the  amount  goes 
into  the  local  treasury. 

A  Corrupt  Priesthood. 
Years  ago  the  Abbe  Emanuel  Domelecb  was 
sent  as  a  special  envoy  from  the  church  of  Rome 
to  investigate  the  religious  conditions  in  Mexico. 
He  was  a  prominent  clergyman  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church.  He  reported  of  the  priests, 
"They  make  merchandise  of  the  sacraments,  and 
make  money  by  every  ceremony,  without  thinking 
that  they  are  guilty  of  simony,  and  expose  them- 
selves to  the  censures  of  the  Church.  If  Roman 
justice  had  its  course  in  Mexico,  one-half  of  the 
clergy  would  be  excommunicated.  The  well-in- 
structed priests,  disinterested  and  animated  by  a 
truly  apostolic  spirit,  constitute  an  insignificant 
minority.  The  priests  carry  their  love  of  family 
to  that  of  paternity.  In  my  travels  in  the  interior 
of  Mexico,  many  pastors  have  refused  me  hospi- 
tality, in  order  to  prevent  me  from  seeing  their 
nieces  and  cousins  and  their  children.  It  is  diffi- 
cult to  determine  the  character  of  these  connec- 
tions. Priests  who  are  recognized  as  fathers  of 
families  are  by  no  means  rare.  The  people  con- 
sider it  natural  enough,  and  do  not  rail  at  the  con- 

70 


RELIGION. 

duct,  except  when  they  are  not  contented  with 
one  wife.  I  remember  that  one  of  the  prelates 
passing  through  a  village  near  the  episcopal  city, 
the  priests  said  tO'  him,  'Sir,  have  the  goodness  to 
bless  my  children  and  their  mother.'  There  was  a 
roomful.  Can  a  clergy  of  such  a  character  make 
saints?  I  doubt."*  The  statement  is  not  over- 
drawn. Every  missionary  in  Mexico  knows  that 
the  charges  here  made  against  the  priests  of  Mex- 
ico are  literally  true.  Pages  might  be  written  of 
the  dark  deeds  of  the  Mexican  priesthood,  much 
of  which  iniquity  is  done  in  ours  and  the  neighbor- 
ing towns,  but  they  are  too  shameful  to  be  told. 
Suffice  it  to  add  that  Roman  Catholicism  of  Mexico 
is  contributing  her  full  share  to  the  fulfillment  of 
the  Apocalyptic  vision  of  the  "woman  arrayed  in 
purple  and  scarlet  color  and  decked  with  gold  and 
precious  stones,  having  a  golden  cup  in  her  hand 
full  of  abominations  and  filthiness  of  her  fornica- 
tion." And  upon  her  forehead  was  a  name  written, 
"MYSTERY,  BABYLON  THE  GREAT,  THE 
MOTHER  OF  HARLOTS  AND  ABOMINA- 
TIONS OF  THE  EARTH." 

An  Enemy  of  the  Bible. 

The  first  edition  of  the  entire  Bible  in  Spanish 
and  Latin,  printed  in  Mexico,  appeared  in  1833, 
fully  three  hundred  years  after  the  Spanish  con- 
quest.   During  all  those  three  hundred  years  there 


•  Mexico  In  Transition. — Butler,  page  33. 
71 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

was  not  a  sign  of  the  Word  of  God  even  in  muti- 
lated form  to  give  light  to  the  people.  And  when 
this  edition  was  made,  with  its  copious  notes, 
which,  like  the  traditions  of  the  Pharisees,  made 
the  word  of  no  effect,  explaining  away  the  truth, 
it  was  in  25  volumes  and  cost  from  $150  to  $200, 
which  placed  it  far  beyond  the  reach  of  the  com- 
mon people.  Two  editions  (Spanish)  have  been 
brought  from  Spain,  those  of  Scio  and  Amat.  The 
former  is  more  frequently  found,  but  it  too,  is  is- 
sued in  five  bulky  volumes  and  costs  $35. 

And  these  are  not  read  by  the  people.  Mrs.  J. 
W.  Butler  sent  to  the  colporteurs  a  Hst  of  ques- 
tions, from  whose  answers  we  take  the  following 
facts:  I.  Very  few  of  the  people  know  what  the 
Scriptures  are.  Even  the  priests  rarely  possess  a 
Bible,  and  of  course  do  not  know  what  it  contains. 
2.  Where  a  Bible  with  the  notes  has  accidentally 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  people,  the  priests  ad- 
vise them  not  to  read  it,  for  they  are  not  able  to 
understand  it.  She  tried  to  buy  a  copy  of  the 
Scio  or  Amat  versions  in  the  book  stores  of  Mex- 
ico City,  and  not  one  copy  was  to  be  found  in  all 
of  them,  though  they  carried  in  stock  a  large  sup- 
ply of  Catholic  books.  A  Catholic  now  converted, 
declared  that  in  his  parish  in  Cuba,  of  eight  thou- 
sand souls,  he  was  the  only  person  who  had  a 
Bible,  and  from  his  experience  in  Mexico,  he  af- 
firms that  conditions  exactly  similar  prevail  there. 

On  the  evangehcal  Bible,  which  the  Protestant 
72 


RELIGION. 

Church  seeks  to  place  in  every  home  in  Mexico, 
and  which  is  sold  for  twenty-five  cents,  U.  S.  cur- 
rency, and  often  given  away,  the  Church  of  Rome 
wages  unceasing  war.  It  is  styled  the  bad  book 
of  the  devils.  During  all  these  centuries,  our 
Bible  has  been  under  the  ban  of  the  Church,  and 
over  the  heads  of  the  people  the  priests  hold  the 
threat  of  excommunication,  forbidding  them  to 
look  between  its  blessed  pages.  The  first  copies 
of  the  Word  of  God  to  enter  the  Republic  came 
through  the  American  army,  and  even  after  the 
Reform  Laws  took  the  reign  of  power  from  the 
hands  of  the  bishop,  the  sword  of -fanaticism  has 
been  unsheathed  to  drive  the  great  Book  from  the 
land.  So  intense  has  been  this  enmity  that  the 
first  Christians  had  to  hide  in  the  caves  to  read  its 
sacred  pages.  And  still  it  is  a  common  experience 
for  the  village  priest  to  call  for  all  the  Bibles  that 
the  colporteur  may  have  sold  in  the  town  and 
make  a  public  bonfire  of  our  holy  Bible  to  the 
amusement  of  the  people.  Because  her  deeds 
are  evil,  Rome  hates  the  lamp  of  life  and  does  her 
utmost  to  extinguish  its  last  ray,  the  lost  soul's 
only  hope. 

Such  is  Roman  Catholicism  of  Mexico.  And 
does  this  system  of  white-washed  paganism  lead 
the  soul  to  > God?  Is  its  brazen-faced  idolatry  less 
culpable  than  that  of  Baal,  the  Sun  god  against 
which  the  ancient  prophets  hurled  the  anathemas 
of  divine  displeasure?    Has  our  God  changed  that 

73 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

He  may  take  pleasure  in  this  blind  worship  of 
stocks  and  stones?  If  the  Spirit  spoke  the  whole 
truth,  saying  that  no  man  comes  to  the  Father  for 
salvation  except  through  the  Son  Jesus  Christ, 
where  is  the  hope  of  this  cunningly  devised  plan 
of  pardon  that  places  Mary  on  the  Intercessor's 
throne  and  leaves  the  sinner  to  rest  upon  his  good 
works  for  acceptance  at  the  bar  of  the  offended 
God?  How  can  that  church  be  trusted  as  the 
pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth,  when  the  spirit  of 
mammon  is  woven  into  the  very  warp  and  woof  of 
its  being,  and  it' is  dominated  and  directed  by  false 
prophets  that  come  in  sheep's  clothing,  while  in- 
wardly they  are  ravening  wolves  and  spare  not  the 
flock,  waging  eternal  war  upon  the 'Word  of  God 
that  would  build  up  all  who  follow  its  divine 
light  and  give  them  an  inheritance  among 
them  that  are  sanctified?  Where  ■  is  the  hop€ 
for  the  creed  that  has  torn  from  its  pages 
all  that  inspires  faith  in  Christ,  the  blood 
atonement  of  the  Lamb  of 'God,  simple  trust  in 
the  regenerative  power  of  the  Spirit,  rejects  the 
divine  Book  of  books,  and  substitutes  Mary  as 
mediator,  good  works  as  the  basis  of  pardon,  and 
the  bulls  of  popes  as  the  only  authoritative  light 
of  life?  Verily,  there  is  none,  literally  none.  The 
hand-writing  on  the  wall  has  passed  sentence,  and 
the  divine  fiat  has  gone  forth,  so  clear  that  he  who 
runs  may  read :  Roman  Catholicism  in  Mexico  has 
been  weighed  in  the  balances  and  found  wanting. 

74 


CHAPTER  V. 
OUR  FIELD. 

It  has  been  most  unfortunate  that  the  different 
denominations  have  not  divided  the  Republic  into 
sections,  in  order  that  each  church  might  be  as- 
signed its  share  of  the  field,  and  be  made  respon- 
sible for  its  evangelization.  This  failure  has 
brought  about  conditions  such,  that  while  there  is 
no  missionary  force  at  work  capable  of  effecting 
the  evangelization  of  the  land  either  in  this  or  the 
coming  generation,  still  the  denominational  agen- 
cies are  scattered  all  over  the  country.  The  lead- 
ing evangelical  boards  have  workers  in  the  north, 
the  south,  the  east,  the  west  and  the  center  of  the 
land.  Most  commendable  cordiality  has  character- 
ized the  relations  of  these  ecclesiastical  bodies,  one 
with  the  other,  yet  they  must  of  necessity  overlap, 
and  with  the  different  forms  of  worship  and  de- 
nominational names,  fail  to  present  to  the  enemy 
an  unbroken  front.  Not  all  the  converts  can  ap- 
preciate that  while  under  different  denominational 
nomenclature,  we  are  at  heart  one  in  Christ.  The 
Roman  Catholics  make  merchandise  of  the  differ- 
ences. 

There  is  reason  for  special  gratitude  that  in  the 
Providence  of  God  other  denominations  have  not 
entered  our  field,  save  two  or  three  stations.  To 
say  that  it  is  our  field  is  not  meant  that  it  has  been 
marked  off  by  a  commission  of  the  churches  and 

75 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

assigned  to  the  Associate  Reformed  Presbyterian 
body.  Only  this,  that  from  the  centers  where  our 
work  has  been  operated,  we  have  pushed  out  in 
different  directions  and  all  the  territory  outlined  is 
yet  unoccupied.     It  is  virgin  soil. 

Ours  is  a  wide  field.  It  covers  a  territory  of 
31,121  square  miles, 'and  contains  a  population  of 
706,799  souls.  It  lies  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
state  of  Vera  Cruz,  the  southern  part  of  Tamauli- 
pas  and  the  entire  eastern  portion  of  San  Luis 
Potosi.  The  states  are  divided  into  "cantones"  or 
districts,  and  these  into  "municipios"  or  counties. 
Each  district  has  its  capital 'and  each  ''municipio" 
its  county  seat. 

I.     The  Vera  Cruz  Field. 

Vera  Cruz  is  a  long  state,  reaching  from  the 
Panuco  river,  on  the  banks  of  which  stands  Tam- 
pico,  to  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec,  a  distance  of 
four  hundred  and  seventy-six  miles.  At  times  it 
measures  only  thirty  miles  in  width.  It  has  a  cli- 
mate that  ranges  all  the  way  between  the  sweltering 
heat  of  the  coast  to  the  cold  zone  of  the  peaks  that 
mount  up  19,000  ft.  toward  the  sky.  The  state  is 
rich  in  forests,  in  which  abound  a  great  variety  of 
animals.  Besides  the  immense  farming  interests, 
wide  stretches  of  territory  are  devoted  to  cattle 
raising,  the  cattle  being  driven  to  the  coast  and 
shipped.  Oil  wells  are  being  bored  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  state,  some  of  which  produce  as  much 
as  8,000  barrels  daily.  The  population  is  very  dense, 

76 


OUR  FIELD. 

and  among  them  many  Indian  tribes :  Totonaco, 
Huasteco,  Popoloco,  Otomi,  Tepehua,  Zapoteco, 
Chimanteco,  Mazateco  and  Mixteco.  All  these 
have  their  own  distinct  dialect,  and  thus  present 
peculiar  difficulties  to  the  gospel  worker.  A  rail- 
road from  Vera  Cruz  to  Mexico  City  crosses  the 
state,  dividing  it  into  two  almost  equal  parts.  To 
the  north  of  this  line  lies  our  field,  embracing  seven 
districts  of  the  state.  This  section 'contains  11,169 
square  miles  and  346,999  souls.  In  all  this  long 
stretch  of  territory  there  is  no  means  of  travel 
except  on  horseback,  in  a  two-wheel  cart,  or  in  a 
boat  along  the  coast.  A  railway  line  has  been 
surveyed  from  Tampico  through  this  section,  but 
it  leads  over  hills  so  high  that  it  will  well  nigh 
empty  the  banks  of  Wall  Street  to  project  the  line. 
The  "cantones"  are  as  follows : 

Ozuluama.  Population  of  "Canton,"  38,890.  "Municipios" ; 
Panuco  with  10,227  souls;  Ozuluama,  8,325;  Tantima,  6,674; 
Tamalin,  3,875 ;  Tampico  Alto,  3,671 ;  Citlaltepec,  3,460 ;  Pueblo 
Viejo,  2,658. 

Chicontepec.  Population  of  "Canton,"  56,389.  "Municipios" : 
Ixhuatlan,  14,226;  Chicontepec,  12,175;  Huayacocotla,  9,848; 
llmallan,  7,517;  Zacualpan,  6,698;  Tlachichilco,  5,925. 

Tuxpan.  Population  of  "Canton,"  58,282.  "Municipios": 
Tuxpan,  13,518;  Temapache,  13,075;  Tamiahua,  9,119;  Tepet- 
zintla,  5.526;  Tihuallan,  4,287;  Amatlan,  4,077;  Tancoco,  3,469; 
San  Antonio  Chinampa,  3,252 ;  Castillo  de  Teayo,  1,958. 

Papantla.  Population  of  "Canton,"  48,994.  "Municipios" : 
Papantla,  23,697;  Gutierrez  Zamora,  4,598;  El  Espinal,  4,124; 
Coyutla,  4,042 ;  Coxquihui,  3,265 ;  Zozocolco  de  Hidalgo,  3,049 ; 

77 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

Coahuitlan,   1,691;   Coazintla,   1,167;   Tecocutla,   1^539;   Santo 
Domingo  Mextitlanl,  529;  Mecatlan,  1,293. 

Jalacinto.  Population  of  "Canton,"  67,016.  "Municipios" : 
Atzalan,  15,564;  Altotonga,  14,957;  Perote,  9,836;  Jalacinto, 
8,506;  H.  Tlapacoyan,  8,074;  Martinez  de  la  Torre,  8,054;  Las 
Minas,  2,025. 

Misantla.  Population  of  "Canton,"  21,250.  "Municipios": 
Misantla,  11,047;  Nautla,  2,808;  Juchique  de  Ferrer,  2,646; 
Vega  de  Alatorre,  2,184;  Yecuatla,  1.440;  Voliap,  1,125. 

Tantoyuca.  Population  of  "Canton,"  56,179.  "Municipios": 
Tantoyuca,  24,126;  Tempoal,  11,838;  Platon  Sanchez,  5,891; 
Chontla,  5,438 ;  Ixcatepec,  4,506 ;  Chiconamel,  4,380. 

Principal  Towns:  Panuco,  population,  1,733;  Tantoyuca, 
2.984;  Chicontepec,  1,969;  Tuxpan,  5,455;  Papantla,  4,542; 
Jalacinto,  2,785 ;  Misantla,  3,296. 

2.     The   Tamaulipas  Field. 

The  state  of  Tamaulipas  has  250  miles  of  coast 
Hne  along  the  Gulf  from  Tampico  to  the  Texas 
border.  Down  through  its  center  extends  the 
Sierra  Madre  Oriental,  enriching  the  state  with 
mines  that  hold  treasures  of  gold,  silver,  iron,  cop- 
per, marble  and  asphalt, 'and  forests  that  abound 
with  fine  woods.  The  soil  produces  crops  of  corn, 
sugar,  coffee,  tobacco,  besides  a  great  variety  of 
fruits.  From  Monterey  a  railroad  traverses  the 
state,  reaching  Tampico,  affording  an  outlet  for 
its  commerce. 

Of  the  four  districts  of  the  state,  the  most  south- 
erly falls  to  our  church.  It  comprises  about 
5,625  square  miles,  and  has  a  population  of  44,579 
souls.    Its  territorial  divisions  are : 

78 


OUR  FIELD. 

Southern  District.  Population  of  "Canton,"  44,579.  "Muni- 
cipios" :  Tampico,  20,000;  Aldama,  3,290;  Altamira,  3,941; 
Magiscatzin,  3,302;  Xicotencatl,  4,196;  Quintero,  2,624;  An- 
tiguo  Morelos,  4.576;  Nuevo  Morelos,  1,126;  Gomez  Farias.. 
1,524. 

The  principal  town,  Tampico;  population,  17,000  souls. 
Lying  at  the  juncture  of  the  Panuco  and  the  Tamesi  rivers, 
six  miles  up  from  the  coast,  it  ranks  next  to  Vera  Cruz  as  the 
finest  harbor  on  the  Gulf  coast.  Jetties  placed  at  the  mouth 
of  the  river  at  a  cost  of  $3,000,000,  have  made  the  harbor  an 
exceptionally  good  one.  The  ships  enter  even  to  the  very 
town,  landing  their  cargo  at  the  wharfs,  which  have  been 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $1,500,000.  The  government  has  erected 
there  one  of  the  most  magnificent  custom  houses  in  the  Repub- 
lic. The  Standard  Oil  Company  have  located  at  this  point 
branch  offices  and  works  which  afford  employment  for  many 
who  flock  from  different  parts  of  the  country.  Quite  a  large 
proportion  of  the  population  is  of  foreign  nationality.  For 
the  English-speaking  element,  Rev.  N.  E.  Pressly  has  held 
services  twice  a  month  for  years.  The  companies  that  con- 
tract for  the  unloading  of  the  ships,  bring  from  the  West 
India  islands  hundreds  of  negroes  to  do  the  work.  For  these 
Dr.  Pressly  also  preaches  twice  a  month  in  a  chapel  provided 
by  the  company. 

3.     The  San  Luis  Potosi  Field. 

The  territory  of  the  state  of  San  Luis  Potosi 
naturally  divides  itself  into  two  sections,  the  low- 
lands and  the  tablelands.  The  latter  comprise  ten 
of  the  thirteen  districts  of  the  entire  state.  The 
altitudes  range  all  the  way  from  4000  ft.  to  9000 
ft.  above  sea  level,  the  highest  parts  being  found 
in  the  extreme  west.  In  these  high  regions  are 
found  rich  mines  of  gold,  silver,  copper  and  salt, 
the  latter  producing  from  seventy  to  eighty  per 
cent,  of  chloride  of  sodium.  This  section  is  exceed- 

79 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

ingly  mountainous,  the  hills  so  precipitous  and 
rugged  that  agriculture  becomes  an  impossibility. 
Nature,  however,  that  great  economizer  of  forces, 
has  provided  for  the  emergency,  and  even  on  these 
impregnable  slopes  thrives  the  maguey,  resem- 
bling the  century  plant  to  be  seen  in  the  public 
parks  of  the  United  States.  From  the  leaves  is 
made  "ixtli,"  a  fiber  used  extensively  in  the  manu- 
facture of  carpets,  rugs,  ropes  and  bagging.  The 
Aztecs  weaved  the  fiber  into  beautiful  blankets 
and  used  the  thorns  as  needles  and  pins.  Certain 
fibers  of  maguey,  it  is  alleged,  will  produce  excel- 
lent paper  pulp.  If  true,  it  will  effect  a  revolution 
in  the  manufacture  of  paper  at  no  distant  date, 
when  the  dense  forests  can  no  longer  meet  the  de- 
mand. On  the  plains  are  large  tracts  of  land  under 
cultivation,  which  yield  immense  harvests  of  corn 
and  sugar  cane. 

Ten  of  the  districts  of  the  state  lie  on  the  table- 
lands. Of  these,  six  belong  to  our  field.  These 
have  an  area  of  about  10,862  square  miles  of  terri- 
tory, and  a  population  of  216,095  souls.  The 
"cantones"  and  "municipios"  are: 

Santa   Maria    del   Rio.      Population    of    "Canton,"    38,257. 
"Municipios":     Santa   Maria  del  Rio,  21,058;   Reyes,   10,917; 
Tierra  Nueva,  6,282. 

Guadalcazar.  Population  of  "Canton,"  30,263.  "Munici- 
pios":    Guadalcazar,   18,385;  Iturbide,  8,027;  Arista,  3,851. 

Cerritos.  Population  of  "Canton,"  30,792.  "Municipios" : 
Cerritos,   16,358;   Carbonera,  6,771;   San  Nicolas,  7,763. 

80 


OUR  FIELD. 

Ciudad  del  Mais.  Population  of  "Canton,"  31,172.  "Muni- 
cipios" :  Ciudad  del  Maiz,  28,909 ;  San  Nicholas,  2,263. 

Hidalgo.  Population  of  "Canton,"  44,094.  "Municipios" : 
Alaquines,  17,657;  Rayon,  12,446;  Lagunillas,  6,073;  La  Palma, 
4,504;  Santa  Catarina,  3,4i4- 

Rioverde.  Population  of  "Canton,"  41,517.  "Municipios" : 
Rioverde,  20,827;  Ciudad  Fernandez,  9,926;  San  Ciro,  6,806; 
Pastora,  3,958. 

The  Huasteca  Potosina. 

The  lowlands  of  the  state  embrace  the  three  re- 
maining districts.  These  constitute  the  Huasteca 
Potosina,  embracing  3465  square  miles,  and  a  popu- 
lation of  99,126.  Unlike  the  higher  regions  of  the 
state,  there  the  rainfall  is  more  sure  and  the  soil 
rewards  the  sower  with  abundant  harvests  of  corn, 
sugar  cane  and  cofifee.  The  magnificent  pastures 
make  cattle-raising  most  profitable,  carloads  of 
cattle  being  shipped  to  Mexico  City  or  across  the 
Gulf  to  Havana. 

Of  the  population,  a  large  per  cent,  are  pure- 
blooded  Indians  of  the  Aztec  race.  They  live  up 
in  the  mountains,  apart  from  the  other  races,  and 
are  exceedingly  shy  and  reticent.  On  market 
days,  the  Sabbath,  they  come  down  from  the 
mountains,  make  their  purchases,  and  return  to 
their  "jacales."  Love  for  rum  is  their  besetting 
sin,  and  to  buy  "aguadiente"  they  will  barter  away 
during  the  year  the  better  part  of  the  little  crop  of 
corn  they  have  gathered  from  their  patches  on  the 
mountain  sides.     One  night,  after  a  hard  ride  of 

81 
M-e 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

one  hundred  and  six  miles  during  the  two  days,  we 
reached  the  banks  of  the  Tamazunchale  river,  to 
find  that  the  town  lay  on  the  opposite  side.  It  was 
dark,  and  the  stream  swollen  level  with  the  banks. 
On  the  side  of  the  river  where  we  waited  were  a 
number  of  Indian  huts.  From  one  to  another  we 
rode,  asking  for  shelter.  Not  one  responded. 
Knowing  that  we  were  not  of  their  tribe,  they  left 
us  to  sit  on  the  river  bank  all  night,  after  two  days' 
ride  in  the  rain.  This  reticence,  with  the  added 
fact  that  they  speak  the  Aztec  dialect,  renders 
missionary  work  among  them  rather  discouraging. 
Of  this  region,  the  districts  and  "municipios"  are : 

Valles.  Population  of  "Canton,"  22,001.  "Municipios" : 
Valles,  10,681;  Tanquin,  2,033;  Guerrero,  2,196;  Tanlajas, 
4,272;  San  Vicente,  2,819. 

Tancanhuitz.  Population  of  "Canton,"  40,860.  "Municipfos" : 
Tancanhuitz,  5,975;  Coxcatlan,  4,211  ;  Huehuetlan,  4,494;  Tam- 
pamalon,  4,298;  Xilitla,  10,838;  Aquismon,  8,399;  San  Antonio, 
2,645. 

Tamazunchale.  Population  of  "Canton,"  36,265.  "Munici- 
pios": Tamazunchale,  17,506;  San  Martin,  9,485;  Tampacan, 
3,859;  Axtla,  5,415- 

Principal  Towns  of  the  San  Luis  Potosi  Field. 

Cerritos.  The  town  proper  has  a  population  of  3,672  and  is 
the  chief  center  of  the  immense  "ixtli"  trade  for  the  districts 
of  Guadalcazar,  Cerritos  and  a  territory  that  stretches  for 
hundreds  of  miles  back  into  the  State  of  Tamaulipas,  being 
the  nearest  railroad  station.  Great  quantities  are  shipped  to 
Europe  and  other  parts  of  the  world.  It  is  a  mission  station 
of  strategic  importance. 

82 


OUR  FIELD. 

Ciudad  del  Mais.  Before  the  railroad  from  Tampico  to 
San  Luis  Potosi  was  projected  through  the  state,  Ciudad  del 
Maiz  was  the  principal  point  on  the  stage  line  between  these 
two  cities  and  was  a  center  of  great  commercial  activity.  The 
railroad  left  the  town  thirty  miles  to  the  north,  and  conse- 
quently no  little  of  the  commercial  interests  shifted  to  other 
places.  Still  being  the  largest  town  of  the  district  as  well  as 
of  the  adjoining  district  of  Hidalgo,  it  offers  splendid  ad- 
vantages as  headquarters   for  gospel  effort  in  that  region. 

Rioverde.  With  Ciudad  Fernandez,  its  suburb,  it  has  a 
population  of  8,035  and  is  situated  midway  between  San  Luis 
Potosi  and  Tampico,  on  a  branch  road  that  connects  with  the 
main  line  between  these  two  cities.  Lying  in  the  heart  of 
a  large  valley  covered  with  a  network  of  irrigating  ditches 
that  bring  the  water  from  a  large,  never-failing  lake  up  in 
the  mountains  twelve  miles  away,  situated  on  the  banks  of  a 
beautiful  river  that  issues  out  of  a  huge  gorge  in  the  moun- 
tains not  far  distant,  nestling  amid  hundreds  and  hundreds 
of  orange  groves,  w'hile  on  all  sides  stretch  toward  the  hills 
far-reaching  fields  of  sugar  cane  with  the  high  towers  of  the 
mills  where  the  sugar  is  made,  the  town  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  in  the  state.  Great  quantities  of  corn  and  sugar  are 
shipped  each  year  and  hundreds  of  car  loads  of  oranges  are 
sent  out  each  fall. 

Valles.  The  town  lies  at  the  foothills  that  rise  up  to  the 
table  lands  and  on  the  National  Railway  that  traverses  the 
state.  Its  population  is  1,412.  Lying  at  the  very  gateway  of 
the  "Huasteca  Potosina,"  the  railroad  station  through  which 
all  the  exports  and  imports  must  pass,  it  becomes  the  most 
strategic  point  in  all  that  section  of  the  state.  From  there  the 
Gospel  can  best  reach  out  into  all  the  "Huasteca  Potosina." 

Tancanhuits.  Fifty  miles  from  Valles,  the  town  lies  in  the 
very  heart  of  the  Huasteca  Potosina.  Its  population  is  1,607 
and  is  situated  in  a  region  so  mountainous  that  once  we  felt 
that  a  friend  of  that  place  almost  spoke  the  naked  truth  when 
he  remarked  that  not  the  railroad  but  the  airship  was  the  hope 
of  his  part  of  the  country.  The  best  roads  are  mere  donkey 
trails.     Great  quantities  of  coffee  are  shipped  from  the  sur- 

83 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

rounding  plantations,  though  it  has  to  be  paddled  down  the 
river  in  simple  canoes  requiring  several  weeks  to  reach  Tam- 
pico,  or  on  muleback  to  Valles,  one  hundred  miles  from  many 
of  the  coffee  fields.  With  all  its  defying  difficulties,  it  offers 
a  most  magnificent  missionary  base  of  operations  and  some 
worker  will  one  day  gather  a  glorious  harvest  of  souls  and 
even  though  Indians,  they  will  be  jewels  for  His  crown  with 
whom  there  is  neither  Jew,  nor  Greek  nor  Scythian  nor  bond 
nor  free  but  all  one  in  Him,  saved  by  His  grace. 


84 


CHAPTER  VL 
PLANS  AND  IDEALS. 

Pascal,  the  French  philosopher  and  theologian, 
once  said  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  center  of  every- 
thing and  the  object  of  everything.  The  aphorism 
sets  forth  the  supreme  and  all-determining  aim  of 
all  our  missionary  activities.  It  is  not  philan- 
thropy, though  the  gospel  herald  is  a  good  Sam- 
aritan, who  cares  for  the  bleeding  unfortunate  by 
the  roadsides  of  life.  Ours  is  not  a  system  of  po- 
litical economy,  though  the  entire  trend  of  our 
teaching  is  toward  the  material  uplift  •  of  the 
nation.  The  gospel  transforms  the  home,  social 
surroundings  and  makes  all  things  new,  yet  the 
primary  end  of  missions  is  not  sociological.  We 
do  not  come  to  foreign  lands  to  teach  the  people 
the  latest  methods  of  agriculture,  medicine,  com- 
merce or  scientific  investigation.  Some  of  these 
result,  while  others  do  not.  However,  any  of  them 
are  entirely  accidental.  To  borrow  the  words  of 
the  president  of  Roberts  College,  "the  aim  of  for- 
eign missions  is  to  make  Jesus  Christ  known  to 
the  world."  Nothing  short  of  this  will  satisfy  the 
conditions  of  the  great  commission.  And  nothing 
less  will  justify  the  expenditure  of  men  and  money. 
To  make  known  Christ  and  His 'saving  gospel,  is 
the  one,  underlying,  all-directing,  all-determining 
aim  of  our  Mexican  Mission.  That  the  Mexicans 
may  know  Him,  whom  to  know  is  life  eternal, 

85 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

that  they  may  be  found  clothed  upon  with  that 
righteousness  which  is  by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of 
God,  that  they  may  grow  up  into  Him  in  all 
things  and  awake  at  last  in  His  likeness;  these  are 
our  ideals  and  toward  these  ends  we  plan  and 
preach  and' pray. 

To  reach  this  final  goal  of  all  our  missionary  en- 
deavor, the  work  must  pass  through  two  distinct 
stages  of  Hfe.  First,  the  evangelizing  forces  are 
to  be  organized  for  operation,  and  then  along  dis- 
tinct lines  of  development  the  work  proceeds. 

ORGANIZATION. 
The   Foreign   Missionary  and   His  Work. 

The  mission  field  is  divided  into  districts,  and 
these  are  placed  under  the  direction  of  the  foreign 
missionaries,  who  superintend  the  entire  range  of 
evangelizing  forces  within  the  bounds  of  the  dis- 
tricts. The  size  of  these  sections  depends  on  the 
supply  of  foreign  missionaries.  If  this  is  limited, 
as  always  has  been  the  case,  each  missionary  must 
shoulder  the  responsibility  of  a  larger  area.  The 
missionary  superintendent  selects  the  most  central 
and  accessible  point  of  the  district,  where  he  makes 
his  home,  and  that  becomes  the  base  of  evangeliz- 
ing operations.  From  that  strategic  center  he 
labors  toward  the  most  economical  direction  of 
gospel  forces,  that  will  issue  in  the  evangelization 
of  the  district  and  the  building  up  of  a  spiritual 
church  that  will  be  worthy  of  Him  who  is  the  chief 
Corner  Stone.     While  the  missionary  is  pastor  of 

86 


PLANS  AND  IDEALS. 

the  congregation  where  he  resides,  he  becomes  the 
overseer  of  a  parish  of  souls  numbering  hundreds 
of  thousands  and  scattered  over  thousands  of 
square  miles. 

The  work  of  the  missionary  is  most  varied  and 
exacting.  On  horseback  he  makes  long  tours 
through  the  towns  and  ranches,  preaching 
and  talking  the  gospel.  It  often  happens  that  the 
head  of  a  home  becomes  a  friend  of  the  truth,  and 
that  home  is  made  the  meeting  place  for  the  gos- 
pel services.  Regular  visits  are  made  till  some 
are  converted  and  ask  for  baptism.  There  is  no 
body  of  elders  to  help  the  missionary  decide 
whether  the  applicant  gives  evidence  of  having 
been  born  again,  or  is  merely  deceived  by  the 
arch  enemy  of  souls.  On  his  shoulders  falls  the 
responsibility.  And  the  burden  he  carries  alone 
for  all  the  little  congregations  he  organizes  over 
his  district,  till  from  the  converts  are  developed 
characters  worthy  of  the  eldership.  This  requires 
years  of  waiting  and  working.  Wherever  practic- 
able, evangelical  schools  are  established,  and  most 
often  the  missionary  has  to  enlist  in  the  teaching 
force  of  the  enterprise.  With  the  good  hand  of 
God  resting  upon  the  efforts  of  the  infant  congre- 
gation, soon  a  little  chapel  is  needed,  for  which 
there  is  neither  to  be  found  an  architect  to  draw 
his  nicely  measured  plans,  nor  the  contractor  to 
execute  those,  leaving  the  one  ^n  charge  to  do 
nothing  but  sign  the  proper  documents  and  pay 

87 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

the  cost.  Far  from  it  are  the  conditions  that  face 
the  missionary.  Though  he  has  never  planned  the 
erection  of  a  simple  log  cabin,  he  faces  the  dire  ne- 
cessity of  having  to  build  a  chapel,  and  that  with 
the  least  possible  outlay  of  funds — for  the  Foreign 
Mission  Boards  never  experience  the  joy  of  seeing 
the  treasuries  overflow  with  appropriations.  More- 
over, some  in  the  homeland  at  times  are  disposed 
to  criticise  the  builder-missionary,  but  it  is  barely 
possible,  that  given  the  help  that  the  missionary 
has,  nothing  more  than  a  common  rock  mason, 
who  can  scarcely  add  two  simple  numbers,  com- 
pelling the  missionary  to  be  architect,  contractor, 
foreman,  purchaser  of  material,  paymaster,  etc., 
etc.,  the  critic  would  make  the  same  blunders.  Lots 
are  to  be  bought  for  Mission  buildings,  and  not  to 
permit  the  missionary  enterprise  to  be  swindled, 
and  on  the  other  hand  to  avoid  the  danger  of  fall- 
ing into  the  clutches  of  an  unscrupulous  lawyer 
whose  god  is  gold,  the  missionary  must  have  a 
limited  knowledge  of  legal  procedure.  And  where 
shall  the  lot  be  located  in  the  town  so  as  to  draw 
more  people  ?  No  members  of  the  Board  are  there 
to  canvass  the  field  with  the  missionary.  On  the 
judgment  of  the  latter  rests  the  decision.  Prob- 
lems arise  whose  name  is  legion,  questions  of  ec- 
clesiastical comity,  the  relation  of  his  field  with 
that  of  another  denomination  that  they  may  not 
overlap,  and  thus  work  harm  to  the  general  ad- 
vance  of  righteousness,   the  management  of  the 

88 


PLANS  AND  IDEALS. 

native  force,  which  calls  for  greatest  wisdom  and 
tact,  matters  of  discipline,  where  the  severity  and 
the  gentleness  of  the  Master  must  be  blended,  all 
these  problems  the  missionary  must  solve  single- 
handed  and  alone. 

It  requires  little  mental  acumen  to  understand 
that  the  missionary  follows  a  calling  that  demands 
a  strong  body,  a  physical  constitution  that  can  ride 
horseback  all  day,  sleep  on  the  ground  at  night, 
and  eat  cold  corn  cakes  for  breakfast,  or  travel 
sixty  miles  during  the  day  and  preach  that  night, 
or  conduct  three  religious  services  during  the 
week,  spend  five  days  in  the  school  room  and  post 
his  books  at'ni^ht.  Nor  must  the  missionary  lack 
mental  force.  Lodge  was  right  when,  before  the 
great  Midway  Conference  he  urged  that  "the  mis- 
sionaries ought  to  be  the  foremost  men  whom  the 
Christian  Church  possesses;  the  men  who  have 
intermeddled  most  and  gone  deepest  into  knowl- 
edge; whose  intellectual  resources  are  the  largest, 
whose  practical  and  persuasive  ability  are  the 
finest,  and  whose  temper  is  under  the  most  com- 
plete control;  the  most  fervent  in  spirit,  the  largest 
in  mind  and  the  most  capable  in  action."  Above 
all,  he  must  be  a  man  of  God,  "truly  converted  in 
heart  and  holy  in  life;  baptized  with  the  Holy 
Spirit  and  with  fire;  taught  by  the  Spirit;  led  by 
the  Spirit;  filled  with  the  Spirit;  a  man  of  one  idea, 
one  aim  and  one  object;  like  the  great  apostle  of 
the  Gentiles,  counting  all  things  but  loss  for  the 

89 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ;  determined 
not  to  know  anything  but  Christ  and  Him  cruci- 
fied; loving  Christ,  living  Christ,  ready  and  willing 
if  need  be  to  die  for  Christ." 

The  Native  Minister  and   His  Work. 

The  congregations  organized  byi  the  foreign 
missionary  in  different  parts  of  his  district  are 
placed  in  charge  of  native  pastors,  who  prosecute 
the  work  of  personal  evangelism  from  the  congre- 
gational centers.  Thus  the  native  minister  has  the 
larger  opportunity  for  personal  contact  with  the 
people  and  must  accomplish  the  larger  share  of 
the  individual  work  of  the  evangelization  of  the 
field.  The  foreign  missionary  never  ceases  to  be 
a  soul  winner.  On  his  itinerating  rides  and  in  the 
homes  of  the  people,  he  must,  like  Paul,  by  all 
means,  save  souls.  But  his  energies  are  principally 
directed  toward  the  larger  work  of  the  entire  dis- 
trict. He  must  organize  the  forces,  open  the  sta- 
tions of  the  field,  stand  at  the  front,  and  with  the 
care  of  all  the  churches  on  his  shoulders,  strive  to 
lead  the  evangelization  to  a  successful  triumph. 
He  leaves  the  native  pastor  to  do  the  most  of  the 
individual  work  of  winning  the  people  one  by  one. 

In  this  sphere  of  personal  evangelism  the  native 
pastor  excels.  Over  the  world  mission  field  it  is 
the  consensus  of  opinion  that  the  heathen  world 
can  best  be  reached  by  its  own  sons.  ''When  the 
set  time  arrives,  the  real  reformers  of  Hindustan 
will  be  the  qualified  Hindus"  (DufiF).    "The  agency 

90 


PLANS  AND  IDEALS. 

by  which  and  by  which  alone  we  can  Christianize 
Africa,  is  the  African  himself"  (Mackay).  "The 
millions  of  China  must  be  brought  to  Christ  by 
Chinamen"  (Nevius).  "Whether  considered  po- 
litically, economically,  sociologically  or  historic- 
ally, this  is  the  only  sound  policy  and  effective 
method  for  evangelizing  a  nation"  (Goodrich). 

The  policy  is  based  on  the  soundest  wisdom. 
The  native  has  a  more  fluent  and  intelligible  use 
of  the  language  than  the  foreign  missionary.  After 
having  spent  thirty  and  forty  years  on  the  field, 
the  missionary  has  to  confess  that  he  does  not  have 
the  command  of  the  vocabulary  and  idioms  of  the 
language  as  does  the  native  minister.  It  is  one 
thing  to  master  the  grammatical  construction  of 
the  language,  but  quite  another  matter  to  hold  at 
ready  command  the  hundreds  and  hundreds  of 
idiomatic  phrases  of  the  people  that  best  convey 
to  them  the  ideas  current  among  them.  And  still 
more  difficult  of  attainment  is  the  correct  pro- 
nunciation of  a  foreign  tongue.  This,  to  speak 
accurately,  the  foreigner  never  attains.  Some 
approximate  the  task  more  nearly  than  others, 
but  none  that  are  reared  in  the  homeland  ever 
speak  with  the  real  accent  of  a  native.  Most  nat- 
urally this  consideration  gives  the  native  a  decided 
advantage  over  the  foreigner,  when  the  effort  is 
made  to  convey  to  the  people  the  thoughts  and 
ideas  of  our  holy  religion. 

The  native  pastor  enters  best  into  the  inner  life 

91 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

of  the  people,  their  modes  of  thought,  their  pecu- 
liar currents  of  feeling,  their  national  sentiment, 
their  shades  of  religious  feeling,  their  different 
customs  that  are  confined  to  almost  every  section 
of  the  country.  To  be  alive  to  these  national  and 
local  characteristics  is  to  have  opened  a  wide  ave- 
nue over  which  to  reach  more  effectively  the  souls 
of  those  among  whom  the  worker's  lot  is  cast.  To 
ignore  these  is  at  times  fatal.  To  run  counter  to 
what  local  custom  makes  proper  is  to  offend  the 
tastes  of  the  people  and  turn  against  the  worker 
the  hearts  he  would  win.  Right  is  right  every- 
where, but  passing  over  into  the  realm  of  things 
indifferent,  there  is  much  in  which  the  missionary 
must  conform  to  the  ways  of  the  people,  and  woe 
unto  his  usefulness  if  he  cannot  be  one  with  them. 
To  be  sure,  in  this  the  native  excels 'the  foreigner. 
Better  than  the  foreigner,  does  the  native  min- 
ister understand  the  foe  with  whom  he  has  to 
battle.  The  deeply  rooted  saint  worship,  the  cur- 
rent stories  of  how  the  images  have  fallen  from 
the  sky  as  gifts  from  heaven,  the  innumerable  su- 
perstitions, the  hopeless  corruption  of  the  priest- 
hood, the  abyssmal  shame  of  the  confessional,  all 
this  the  native  understands,  for  in  that  atmosphere 
he  has  lived  and  moved  and  had  his  being  for  years. 
By  day  and  by  night  he  has  heard  them  discussed 
in  all  their  stages  of  credulity.  He  knows  the 
stronghold  of  these  senseless  heresies,  and  the  by- 
ways over  which  these  beliefs  travel  into  the  minds 

92 


PLANS  AND  IDEALS. 

of  the  people;  and  knowing  this,  he  knows  where 
and  how  to  meet  them  for  successful  combat. 

This  is  not  saying  that  the  common  stock  of 
the  missionaries'  teaching  is  to  be  the  heresies  of 
the  apostate  church.  Quite  otherwise.  From 
those  longest  on  the  field  we  have  learned  that 
the  surest  way  to  uproot  error  is  to  plant  the  truth. 
The  most  effective  method  by  which  to  rid  the 
heart  of  idol  worship  is  to  admit  Christ  into  the 
heart,  and  with  the  whipcords  of  His  truth  He  will 
thrust  out  all  that  is  against  His  kingdom.  Preach 
Christ  and  Him  crucified,  and  the  falsities  of  the 
Roman  apostasy  will  lose  their  grip  on  the  pagan 
heart.  Get  the  new  life  into  the  plant  and  the  old 
leaves  will  fade  and  die  and  fall  away.  True 
enough,  but  there  are  sprouts  which  the  keen 
blade  of  truth  must  prune  that  the  plant  may  live 
and  thrive.  Without  dwelHng  overmuch  on  the 
errors  of  the  Cathohc  faith,  there  are  times  when 
these  false  beliefs  must  be  corrected  and  the  native 
minister  knows  best  where  they  are  entrenched  in 
the  heart,  and  with  this  knowledge  of  the  where- 
abouts of  the  enemy  and  his  wiles  of  strategy,  he 
can  more  accurately  make  the  deadly  thrust.  Dif- 
ficulties beset  the  honest  seeker  after  light.  Spir- 
itual problems  baffle  him.  Questions  arise  with 
the  new  faith  that  must  be  answered.  The  walls 
of  his  former  faith  totter,  but  some  towers  stand 
steadfast.  Some  ideas  of  his  old  creed  still  appeal 
to  him.     The  native  has  travelled  over  that  same 

93 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

road  and  knows  well  the  finger  posts  that  lead  out 
into  the  light. 

And  not  only  because  of  the  special  fitness  of 
the  native  ministers  for  winning  their  own  people, 
but  from  the  standpoint  of  financial  economy,  it  is 
wise  to  employ  them,  rather  than  missionaries,  as 
pastors  of  the  congregations.  However  much  the 
foreign  missionary  may  sacrifice,  the  provision  for 
his  family,  the  education  of  his  children,  the  added 
expense  of  the  direction  of  his  wide  district,  as 
well  as  other  considerations,  call  for  a  larger  sal- 
ary than  that  of  the  native  minister.  The  needs  of 
the  latter  are  simpler.  One  thousand  dollars  paid 
a  foreign  missionary  as  pastor  of  a  local  congrega- 
tion, would  supply  the  needs  of  two  or  three 
native  pastors. 

These  reasons  more  than  justify  the  world-wide 
mission  policy,  which  distributes  over  the  district 
ten  or  more  native  men  to  labor  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  foreign  missionary,  who  superintends 
the  missionary  operations  from  a  central  point. 
Thus  the  two  workers,  the  native  and  the  foreign, 
become  necessary  complements  to  each  other. 
Without  the  aid  of  one  the  other  is  sorely'crippled, 
while  harmonious  co-operation  will  enable  them  to 
reap  a  glorious  harvest  for  the  Lord.  The  mis- 
sionary holds  the  throttle  of  the  ecclesiastical  ma- 
chinery and  directs  the  evangelizing  agencies  of 
the  district.  His  burdens  are  heavy.  They  are 
crushing,  were  it  not  that  he  can  draw  upon  divine 

94 


PLANS  AND  IDEALS. 

resources — the  responsibility  of  souls  numbering 
from  one  hundred  to  five  hundred  thousand,  the 
direction  of  the  native  force  so  that  no  friction  re- 
sults, the  oversight  of  schools  and  opening  of  new- 
stations,  the  long  itinerating  trips,  preaching  often 
every  night  and  always  on  Sabbath.  In  a  word, 
the  foreign  worker  follows  the  model  missionary 
from  Tarsus,  traveling,  preaching,  teaching,  plan- 
ning, raising  up  Timothy  here  and  Titus  yonder, 
and  Apollos  farther  on,  and  all  the  while  bearing 
on  his  heart  the  care  of  all  the  churches,  while 
the  native  evangelists  take  charge  of  the  local  con- 
gregations and  push  to  the  neighboring  towns  and 
ranches  the  work  planted  by  the  missionary.  Paul 
plants  and  Apollos  waters.  This  is  the  missionary 
policy  in  a  nutshell. 

DEVELOPMENT. 
A  Self'Sustaining  Church. 

Ours,  like  all  other  missionary  effort,  steers  its 
ship  along  a  current  that  passes  between  the  Scylla 
and  Charybdis  of  two  most  fatal  dangers.  On  the 
one  hand,  to  contribute  the  funds  of  the  home 
church  toward  the  running  expenses  of  the  mis- 
sionary machinery  of  the  field,  so  long  and  to  such 
extent  that  the  converts  come  to  feel  that  their 
financial  co-operation  is  not  needed;  that  back  of 
the  missionary  is  a  large  bank  account  that  insures 
a  flow  of  funds  such  that  whether  they  contribute 
or  not,  the  missionary  campaign  will  go  forward, 

95 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

is  a  hidden  rock  on  which  the  missionary  bark  will 
surely  be  stranded.  It  dries  up  the  fountains  of 
spirituality  in  the  hearts  of  the  converts,  dwarfs 
their  growth  in  the  divine  life,  robs  the  Mission  of 
a  working  force,  and  takes  from  the  mouths  of 
weaker  congregations  that  help  that  would  place 
them  on  their  feet  as  potent  factors  of  righteous- 
ness. On  the  other  hand  lies  the  equally  fatal 
error  of  cutting  ofif  all  support  from  the  struggling 
congregation  while  in  swaddling  clothes,  too  weak 
to  walk,  and  leave  it  to  die  by  the  wayside. 

Between  these  two  reefs  of  ruin  lies  the  path  of 
safety  and  success.  Till  the  new-born  congrega- 
tion has  sufficient  strength  to  walk  and  work,  it  is 
the  part  of  wisdom  to  take  it  by  the  arms  that  it 
may  not  fall,  and  teach  it  the  secrets  of  spiritual 
activities.  We  would  lead  the  little  congregations 
along  the  way  that  leads  to  ultimate  self-support. 
Self-sustaining,  self-directing  and  self-disciplining 
congregations;  this  is  the  ideal  toward  which  we 
are  directing  our  energies.  Our  oldest  congrega- 
tion, that  of  Tampico,  has  already  reached  this 
stage.  All  the  expenses  of  the  local  work  are  met 
by  the  congregation.  Besides  the  congregational 
expenditures,  the  salary  of  the  native  pastor,  Rev. 
Pedro  Trujillo,  is  paid  by  the  members.  And  all 
the  congregations  are  striving  to  reach  the  ideal. 
It  was  for  this  very  purpose  that  on  the  29th  of 
June,  1888,  the  workers  then  engaged  in  the  Mis- 
sion, Revs.  N.  E.  Pressly  and  Pedro  Trujillo,  the 

96 


PLANS  AND  IDEALS. 

licentiates  Zenon  Zaleta  and  Inez  Hernandez,  and 
the  elder,  Pablo  Morato,  met  in  Tampico  and  or- 
ganized the  Tampico  Presbytery.  That  was  but 
nine  years  after  the  planting-  of  the  Mission.  And 
all  through  the  years  the  Mission  has  been  true 
to  the  hig-h  purpose  to  train  the  entire  missionary 
forces,  ministers  and  converts,  to  a  self-sustaining 
and  self-directing  body,  not  operating  separately 
from  the  Synod,  but  traveling  along  the  ecclesias- 
tical paths  as  seen  in  the  policies  of  the  home  Pres- 
byteries. 

An  Evangelistic  Church. 

That  the  soul  is  saved  to  serve;  that  the  call  to 
come  to  the  Savior  is  not  one  w^hit  more  authori- 
tative than  the  commission  to  go  and  seek  the  lost; 
that  the  weary  and  heavy  laden  who  hear  and  heed 
His  voice  calling  to  His  side  where  there  is  perfect 
rest,  must  take  upon  them  the  yoke  of  service  and 
become  co-laborers  with  Him  who  would  win  the 
apostate  world  back  to  the  Father's  house;  these 
are  the  high  standards  set  before  our  converts. 
Each  one  becomes  his  brother's  keeper. 

It  is  the  Master's  own  plan.  Grace  spreads  like 
the  fire  that  descends  from  heaven  (?)  on  Easter 
morn  as  the  anxious  throng  fill  the  church  of  the 
Holy  Sepulchre.  From  the  lighted  torch  of  the 
holy  father  who  has  tarried  on  the  altar  tO'  receive 
the  celestial  fire,  each  worshipper  lights  his  torch, 
and  from  that  burning  flame  another  is  lit  and  an- 
other, till  the  entire  city  glows  with  the  light  of 

97 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

the   heavenly   fire.      Thus   must   the   light   of   life 
travel  to  the  ends  of  the  earth. 

And  if  the  fire  does  not  spread,  it  goes  out.  To 
tie  up  our  talent  in  a  napkin  is  to  lose  it.  Jerusa- 
lem received  the  oracles  of  God  at  Sinai  and  cen- 
turies later  heard  the  words  of  Him  who  spake  as 
never  man  spake,  yet  she  lent  no  helping  hand  to 
the  other  nations  that  were  strangers  to  the  cov- 
enants of  promise,  and  the  terrible  woes  of  the 
Master  have  been  literally  fulfilled.  Not  one  stone 
has  been  left  on  Mt.  Zion  to  mark  the  dwelling 
place  of  the  God  of  Jacob.  Use  or  lose  is  the  in- 
exorable law  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  Mission 
fields  that  have  failed  to  come  up  to  the  help  of  the 
Lord  have  not  escaped  the  blighting  curse  of 
Meroz.  John  Mark  carried  the  gospel  to  Egypt 
about  the  year  45  A.  D.  The  good  hand  of  God 
rested  upon  the  new  station  and  soon  Alexandria 
became  the  center  of  a  most  aggressive  Christian- 
ity. There  was  founded  the  great  theological 
school  of  Clement.  Origen,  Eusebius  and  others 
of  like  heroic  mould,  were  sons  of  this  mission. 
Rapidly  the  gospel  extended  along  the  north 
coast  of  Africa  and  up  the  Nile,  till  in  the  year  308 
the  national  council  was  composed  of  270  bishops. 
Then  came  the  crisis.  The  wide  harvest  fields  of 
the  south  stretched  out  before  them.  The  door  of 
opportunity  opened  wide  and  the  man  from  Mace- 
donia was  calling  for  the  evangelization  of  the 
Dark  Continent.    The  North  African  Church  fold- 

98 


PLANS  AND  IDEALS. 

ed  its  arms,  busied  itself  with  technical  theological 
discussions  and  left  the  perishing  millions  to  their 
doom.  The  result  was,  that  the  church  was  weak- 
ened by  schisms  and  dwarfed  at  last  into  the  Cop- 
tic sect  of  Egypt,  an  ecclesiastical  body  as  utterly 
un-Christian  as  Islam.  The  lesson  is  clear,  the 
Mission  that  is  not  evangelistic  will  soon  be 
missing. 

For  this  aggressive  evangelism  our  convert  has 
an  experience  that  stirs  him  with  great  motive 
power.  He  has  turned  from  his  idols  to  serve  the 
living  God.  And  how  different  all  life  becomes! 
It  is  like  the  change  from  darkest  night  to  bright- 
est noonday.  Christ  has  borne  the  curse  of  his 
sins  and  the  blood  shed  on  Calvary  has  washed 
away  all  the  stain  and  guilt.  The  Romanist  must 
bruise  his  body,  gO'  the  endless  rounds  of  penance 
and  still  never  rid  his  soul  of  the  crushing  load  of 
guilt  like  the  mountain  resting  on  Typhon's  heart. 
He  who  believes  on  Christ  to  the  saving  of  his  soul, 
finds  in  his  heart  a  fountain  of  perennial  joy  that 
stirs  him  to  sing  amid  the  overwhelming  sorrows 
of  life,  a  most  striking  contrast  to  the  cheerless 
faith  of  the  papal  idolater.  The  convert  to  the 
gospel  feeds  on  the  "exceeding  great  and  precious 
promises"  which  are  like  "honey  out  of  the  rock," 
while  the  Romanist  has  no  message  of  inspiration 
unless  it  be  the  manual  of  prayers  to  the  saints  or 
the  mass  said  in  Latin.  Like  Ephraim,  he  feeds 
on   ashes.     The   believer  looks  up  into   the  Re- 

99 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

deemer's  face  and  cries,  Abba  Father,  he  feels  the 
everlasting  arms  about  him  and  the  throb  of  the 
Father  heart,  while  the  Romanist  bows  before  his 
image,  and  says,  "Thou  art  my  hope."  The  evan- 
geHcal  believer  holds  a  creed  that  makes  death  a 
mere  shadow  through  which  the  great  Shepherd 
STuides  and  comforts  with  His  rod  and  stafif,  while 
those  who  put  their  trust  in  little  gods  of  wood, 
paper  and  stone,  go  down  into  the  grave  clinging 
to  their  dumb  idols  with  indescribable  dread. 
Theirs  is  not  the  light  and  song  of  the  shepherd 
psalm.  The  soul  reconciled  through  Christ  de- 
parts this  life  to  go  to  the  Master's  presence,  where 
there  is  fullness  of  joy,  and  at  whose  right  hand 
there  are  pleasures  forever  more.  The  Romanist 
looks  for  the  fearful  judgment  of  purgatorial 
flames,  in  which  the  devoted  are  to  be  purified 
till — no  one  knows  how  long. 

So  marked  is  the  change  between  the  two  ex- 
periences, that  the  Romanist  who  has  been  sound- 
ly converted  and  has  received  the  "fullness  of  the 
blessing  of  the  gospel  of  Christ,"  awakes  to  the 
sense  of  his  obligation  to  his  neighbors,  who  follow 
his  empty,  Hfeless  faith  in  idols.  While  the  be- 
liever, who  has  laid  body,  soul  and  spirit  at  the 
feet  of  Jesus,  feasts  in  the  banqueting  house  of 
free  grace,  he  remembers  his  fellowmen  who  are 
feeding  on  the  husks  of  the  far  country  of  Romish 
idolatry  and  formalism,  and  his  soul  is  fired  with 
a  mighty  passion   to   tell   what   great   things  the 

lOO 


PLANS  AND  IDEALS. 

Lord  has  done  for  him,  that  others  may  come  to 
the  Father's  house  where  there  is  bread  and  to 
spare.  He  would  go  along  the  highways  of  papal 
formalism  and  bring  his  friends  to  the  gospel  feast 
to  drink  of  that  water  of  which,  if  a  man  drink,  he 
shall  never  thirst,  and  to  eat  of  that  bread  of 
which,  if  a  man  eat,  he  shall  never  hunger  again. 

Jean  Ingelow's  hero  in  "Brothers  and  Sermon," 
is  our  model.  The  old  man  lived  among  the  fisher- 
folk  and  was  wont  to  go  from  hut  to  hut  pleading 
the  text,  "Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock." 
His  life  was  so  intensely  holy  that  it  was  as  if 
Christ  had  been  drawn  down  from  heaven  to  take 
them  home.  He  begged  the  fishermen  to  open 
their  hearts  to  the  waiting,  knocking  Savior.  And 
he  besought  them  as  if  their  souls  were  in  his 
keeping,  and  he  could  not  bear  to  go  to  heaven  till 
every  one  of  the  humble  villagers  were  ready  to 
follow  him. 

A  Spiritual  Church. 

Roman  Catholicism  is  Pharisaism  at  its  worst. 
''Outwardly  they  appear  righteous  to  men,  but 
within  they  are  full  of  hypocrisy  and  wickedness." 
To  sprinkle  a  bit  of  holy  water  sufiices  to  regen- 
erate the  soul;  to  whisper  the  recital  of  one's  sins 
into  the  ear  of  a  confessor  will  insure  pardon, 
though  there  be  nO'  thought  of  repentance;  to 
make  clean  the  outside  of  the  platter  and  of  the 
cup  meets  the  gospel  conditions,  though  the  heart 
be  full  of  extortion  and  excess.     Against  this  ex- 

lOI 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

ternalism  our  gospel  makes  relentless  war,  and  in- 
sists that  the  heart  is  the  center  of  the  spirituality 
that  must  stand  the  shibboleths  of  divine  testing, 
that  until  the  soul's  inner  life  is  righted  all  is 
wrong,  that  we  must  be  born  again,  that  pardon 
is  conditioned  by  the  resolution  to  go  and  sin  no 
more,  that  to  go  from  the  confessional  back  over 
the  ways  of  iniquity,  is  to  follow  the  "sow  to  the 
wallow  and  the  dog  to  his  vomit,"  abundant  proof 
that  the  soul  has  been  the  victim  of  the  deceitful- 
ness  of  sin,  and  is  still  in  the  gall  of  bitterness  and 
the  bond  of  iniquity.  Those  who  heed  the  call  to 
separation  from  this  Babylon,  "the  hold  of  every 
foul  spirit,"  need  to  be  told  and  retold,  that  "true 
religion  and  undefiled  before  God"  is  not  only  to 
visit  the  fatherless  and  widows  in  their  affliction, 
but  to  keep  one's  self  unspotted  from  the  world  of 
bull  fights,  cock  pits.  Sabbath  desecration  behind 
the  trade  counter  or  in  the  gay  whirl  of  the  ball 
room. 

The  Bible  is  made  the  man  of  our  counsel.  Like 
the  Pharisee  with  his  endless  traditions,  the 
Romanist  makes  the  word  of  God  of  none  effect 
through  the  bulls  of  popes  and  edicts  of  councils. 
Purgatorial  fires  are  preached,  indulgences  are 
sold  and  the  grossest  idolatry  is  sanctioned  with- 
out the  slightest  authority;  simply  because  such 
practices  have  the  seal  of  papal  approval.  Our 
converts  are  taught  that  the  Sacred  Scriptures, 
"to  which  nothing  is  to  be  added  and  from  which 

1 02 


PLANS  AND  IDEALS. 

nothing  is  to  be  taken,"  are  the  royal  rule  of  all 
holy  living,  the  divine  plumb-line  by  which  all  pre- 
cepts and  practices  are  to  be  tested. 

Penance  is  most  unsparingly  condemned. 
There  is  no  merit  in  bruising  one's  body  with 
spiked  thongs,  wearing  thorn  crowns,  or  crawling 
over  sharp  stones.  The  gospel  of  the  atoning  sub- 
stitution recognizes  no  remission  of  sin  through 
the  shedding  of  one's  own  blood.  Only  the  blood 
shed  on  Calvary  can  take  away  the  sin  of  the  world, 
"forasmuch  as  we  were  not  redeemed  with  cor- 
ruptible things,  such  as  gold  and  silver,  but  with 
the  precious  blood  of  Christ,  as  of  a  lamb  without 
spot  and  without  blemish." 

The  simple,  sublime  standards  of  the  prayer  Hfe 
are  exalted.  The  effectual,  fervent  prayer  of  the 
righteous  man  that  availeth  much  in  its  working, 
because  offered  in  the  name  of  our  Great  High 
Priest,  Jesus  Christ,  and  through  faith,  takes  the 
place  of  the  unintelligibly  rapid  mumbling  of  "Hail 
Mary,"  the  hundreds  of  times  prescribed  in  the 
manual  of  devotion,  or  the  burning  of  candles  be- 
fore the  images,  as  remembrancers  of  the  plea  of 
the  suppliant,  or  the  confessions  of  their  short- 
comings to  a  priest  whose  life  too  often  is  stained 
with  the  blackest  vileness.  Isaiah's  warning  is 
thundered  and  re-thundered;  that  their  offerings 
of  candles  to  saints,  and  gold  for  prayers  to  be 
said,  are  vain;  their  incense  is  an  abomination; 
their  appointed  feasts  weary  the  Lord  of  Hosts, 

103 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

and  though  they  stretch  forth  their  hands  He  will 
hide  His  face.  They  must  wash  their  hands  in 
innocency,  and  thus  compass  the  altar  of  prayer. 
They  must  put  away  evil  doing  and  learn  to  do 
well.  We  would  lead  our  converts  to  draw  near 
with  a  true  heart  and  in  full  assurance  of  faith, 
having  their  hearts  sprinkled  from  an  evil  consci- 
ence, and  enter  through  the  vail  rent  by  the  broken 
body  of  the  Savior  on  the  cross,  when  His  blood 
was  shed  for  the  sinner's  reconciliation,  and  sit  at 
the  feet  of  Him  whom  we  may  call  Abba  Father. 
Like  Christ  is  the  ideal  for  both  our  converts 
and  ourselves.  Perhaps  no  part  of  the  Bible  is  so 
constantly  studied  as  the  Evangelists,  to  see  how 
He  walked  and  worked.  What  He  would  do,  is 
our  moving  and  moulding  motto.  Like  the  fabled 
lake  that  nestled  in  the  quiet,  secluded  valley,  in 
whose  crystal  mirror  may  be  seen  mountain  ranges 
that  are  invisible  to  the  naked  eye,  we  strive  to 
have  the  converts  reflect  the  likeness  of  the  Christ 
who  walks  no  more  among  us  in  the  flesh.  To 
attain  to  this  divine  standard,  the  Holy  Spirit  filled 
life  is  preached.  Like  the  Ephesians,  the  Romanists 
have  not  so  much  as  heard  whether  there  be  any 
Holy  Spirit.  With  good  works  as  the  basis,  their 
scheme  of  salvation  is  self-centered.  The  error  is 
fatal,  and  issues  in  the  works  of  the  flesh  and  final 
spiritual  death.  The  gospel  delivers  them  from 
this  body  of  death,  and  looks  to  the  new  center 
which  is  Christ,  and  His  Spirit  works  in  them  the 

104 


PLANS  AND  IDEALS. 

fruit  of  righteousness,  helping  them 'to  add  to  their 
faith  all  the  divinely-nurtured  graces,  till  they  at- 
tain to  the  stature  of  the  perfect  men  in  Christ 
Jesus.  The  fanaticism  that  would  call  down  fire 
from  heaven  to  consume  those  who  refuse  to  wor- 
ship the  pope  sitting  in  his  temple  as  god,  is 
purged  away  as  dross  by  the  pentecostal  fires  of 
the  Spirit  who  kindles  on  the  heart-altar  the  fiame 
of  that  passion  which  is  the  bond  of  perfectness. 

We  would  teach  the  converts  to  see  Jesus. 
Rome  tolerates  no  personal  relationship  with 
Christ.  Hers  is  a  complex  system  that  comes  be- 
tween the  soul  and  its  Savior,  a  mighty  ecclesiasti- 
cal machine  that  pretends  to  make  saints,  and  in 
so  doing  destroys  all  personal  contact  with  the 
Lord,  whose  we  are  and  whom  we  serve.  Christ 
becomes  nothing,  and  the  individual  nothing.  The 
soul  is  absorbed  into  the  vast  system  and  the 
Savior  is  placed  far  out  of  reach.  The  mother 
church  is  everything  to  the  Romanist.  Our  gos- 
pel aims  to  do  for  the  converts  what  the  phil- 
osopher asked  of  the  king,  that  he  would  get  out 
of  his  light.  We  would  compel  Romanism  to  stand 
aside  that  the  "light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory 
of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ  may  shine  in 
their  hearts."  And  once  catching  the  vision  of 
Him  who  is  the  "chiefest  of  ten  thousand,  the 
One  altogether  lovely,"  the  convert  will  renounce 
his  blind  devotion  to  Mary,  and  the  saints  whose 
name  is  legion,  and  crown  Him  Lord  of  all,  "that 

105 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

in  all  things  He  may  have  the  preeminence."  The 
soul  will  feel  the  sublime  thrill  of  Paul,  who 
counted  all  things  but  loss  and  refuse  for  the  ex- 
cellency of  the  knowledge  of  Christ,  and  be  ready 
to  sufifer  the  loss  of  all  things  to  win  Him  and  be 
found  in  Him.  These  whose  streams  of  comfort 
have  traced  their  sources  to  saints,  will  look  upon 
that  face  from  which  beams  that  love  passing 
knowledge,  and  cry  "Oh  Galilean,  Thou  hast  con- 
quered." He  who  is  above  all  and  through  all, 
and  infinitely  closer  to  all  than  popes  and  priests 
and  the  "mother  church,"  with  her  pretended  keys, 
will  constrain  the  devoted  hearts  to  press  through 
all  the  outer  circles  of  personal  fellowship  and 
come  near,  so  near  as  to  lay  their  weary  heads 
upon  His  bosom.  Then,  like  Zinzendorf,  they  will 
have  one  passion,  Christ  and  Christ  alone.  To 
learn  of  Him,  to  know  Him,  to  follow  Him,  to 
walk  with  Him  in  white,  to  abide  in  Him,  to  die 
with  Him  and  reign  with  Him,  these  are  our  su- 
preme aims  for  those  whom  the  Lord  has  given  us. 
Patrick's  prayer  for  himself  is  ours  for  them. 

Christ  as  a  light 

Illumine  and  guide  me; 

Christ  as  a  shield  o'ershadow  and  cover  me; 

Christ  be  under  me;  Christ  be  over  me; 

Christ  be  beside  me. 

On  left  hand  and  right. 

Christ  be  before  me,  behind  me,  about  me, 

Christ  this  day  be  within  and  without  me. 
io6 


CHAPTER  VII. 

OUR  BEGINNING. 
A  Retrospective  Look. 

The  fires  of  missionary  zeal  began  to  burn  early 
in  the  history  of  our  church.  In  October,  1807, 
Synod  "resolved  that  every  minister  of  our  Synod 
lift  a  collection  to  aid  Foreign  Missions."  The 
Church  w^as  too  small  to  undertake  a  separate  work 
on  the  Foreign  field,  so  that  all  funds  were  sent 
to  the  Board  of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church 
to  be  applied  to  the  use  of  their  missionaries  in 
India.  There  is  no  record  of  the  amount  of  these 
contributions  made  by  these  pioneers  of  the  Lord's 
work.  Suffice  it  to  add  that  in  the  year  1838  the 
nine  congregations  contributed  three  hundred  and 
twenty-seven  dollars.  To  indicate,  too,  something 
of  the  way  in  which  was  esteemed  the  aid  of  our 
fathers  in  the  work  in  far-off  India,  it  is  said  that 
among  the  first  converts  that  these  brave  Coven- 
anter missionaries  won  from  the  ranks  of  Buddha 
and  Brahma  three  were  given  Christian  names, 
those  of  Isaac  Grier,  William  Blackstocks  and 
John  Hemphill. 

Not  content  with  being  merely  helpers,  the 
Associate  Reformed  people  set  their  heads  and 
their  hearts  on  the  operation  of  a  distinct  mission 
work  in  some  part  of  the  Regions  Beyond.  But 
where  would  it  be?     In  1846  the  Committee  on 

107 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

Foreign  Mission  work  reported  through  its  chair- 
man the  recommendation  of  the  establishment  of 
a  school  in  Kentucky  to  be  under  the  supervision 
of  Thomas  Ware,  a  colored  man  of  Africa.  The 
purpose  of  the  school  was  to  prepare  colored  stu- 
dents for  the  work  in  Africa,  where  the  Synod  pro- 
posed planting  their  Mission.  Liberia  was  to  be 
the  center  of  their  missionary  operations.  Quite 
a  number  of  persons  offered  to  give  the  Synod  ser- 
vants for  the  school.  The  Government  of  Liberia 
readily  granted  a  tract  of  twenty  acres  of  land  for 
the  establishment  of  the  Mission.  Three  boys  were 
placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  Synod.  Dr.  G,  W. 
Pressly  gave  his  boy  Harrison,  Mr.  James  Robin- 
son gave  his  boy  William,  and  the  Misses  Murphy 
gave  their  boy  Pinkney.  It  did  look  as  if  the  en- 
thusiasm of  the  little  band  was  going  to  bear  fruit 
in  the  organization  of  real  missionary  work  on  for- 
eign soil.  For  this  they  were  praying  and  toiling. 
But  somehow  the  school  failed.  And  after  about 
five  years  of  trial,  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions 
reported  "It  becomes  our  painful  duty  to  repwDrt 
the  failure  of  the  African  mission  so  far  as  regards 
the  training  or  preparation  of  the  boys  that  have 
been  placed  under  the  supervision  of  Rev.  N.  M. 
Gordon."  Two  of  the  students  proved  morally 
unfit  for  the  work  and  the  other  intellectually  so. 
Other  students  were  placed  in  the  school,  where 
great  emphasis  was  laid  on  manual  labor  in  the 
curriculum.    The  whole  affair  lent  little  or  no  hope 

io8 


OUR  BEGINNING. 

to  the  ardent  desire  of  the  fathers  to  open  Foreign 
Mission  work  on  foreign  soil.  Thus  matters 
dragged  along  till  in  the  year  1855  the  Board 
recommended  that  Synod  cease  to  support  the 
school  and  it  was  closed.  Thus  came  to  naught 
the  African  Mission  which  for  a  while  promised  so 
much.  Why  should  the  frail  bark  strand  upon  the 
reefs  and  rocks  so  soon?  The  Church  had  given 
the  project  their  unstinted  loyalty.  They  had 
opened  their  purse  till  the  enterprise  had  no  lack. 
They  had  been  unceasing  in  their  prayers  for  these 
dark-faced  sons  of  Africa.  But  the  student  factor 
was  so  sorely  deficient,  the  material  so  poor,  and 
the  management  was  so  far  from  what  it  should 
have  been,  that  the  little  ship  could  not  breast  the 
high  surging  wave  and  went  down. 

And  so  rude  was  the  shock  given  the  missionary 
spirit  that  glowed  in  the  heart  of  the  Church,  that 
no  more  was  said  about  Missions  for  years.  At 
least  nothing  was  recorded.  Just  before  the  Civil 
War  broke  out,  the  matter  came  up  once  more; 
for  the  words,  the  last  words  of  our  departing 
Lord  to  go  and  teach  all  nations  were  like  a  fire 
shut  up  in  their  bones,  and  weary  with  foreboding, 
they  could  not  stay  the  zeal  to  speak  out.  But 
the  scorching  sun  of  those  sixties  burned  to  the 
ground  this  as 'it  did  so  many  other  frail  plants, 
just  opening  its  buds  to  bloom. 

When  the  storms  of  war  had  passed  and  the 
struggling  Church  had  risen  to  her  feet  again,  the 

109 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

spirit  of  Missions  made  itself  heard  once  more.  It 
could  not  die  so  long  as  the  Church  breathed.  It 
was  and  is  the  life  blood  of  the  body  of  Christ. 
Wherever  souls  have  the  spirit  of  the  Saviour  they 
will  weep  as  He  did  over  the  lost,  be  their  faces 
black,  white  or  bronzed,  and  spare  no  sacrifice  to 
bring  them  within  the  folds  of  the  Father's  great 
love.  It  was  so  with  our  fathers.  In  1872  Synod 
appointed  a  committee  to  study  and  report  to  the 
next  meeting  as  to  the  practicability  of  oi>ening 
another  mission  field. 

The  next  meeting  took  place  at  Mt.  Zion,  Mo., 
and  it  was  resolved  to  take  up  actively  the  Foreign 
Missionary  enterprise,  and  the  Board  was  ordered 
to  send  out  to  all  the  churches  a  letter  stirring  up 
their  hearts  to  the  great  duty  of  evangelizing  the 
nations.  Two  schemes  were  proposed  at  the  next 
meeting.  One  was  to  open  an  independent  mis- 
sion. The  other  was  to  co-operate  with  some 
other  denomination.  The  latter  was  adopted,  an 
invitation  having  been  received  from  the  United 
Presbyterians.  Miss  Mary  E.  Galloway,  of  Due 
West,  S.  C,  offered  her  services  as  pioneer  mis- 
sionary, and  arrangements  were  made  at  once  to 
send  her  to  Egypt,  the  field  operated  by  the 
United  Presbyterian  Church.  The  close  of  the 
year  1874  witnessed  farewell  meetings  held  in  dif- 
ferent places  in  honor  of  our  first  missionary.  On 
the  28th  of  January,  1875,  she  sailed  from  New 
York  for  Alexandria,  Egypt.    She  arrived  there  in 

no 


OUR  BEGINNING. 

March.  Her  remarkable  linguistic  ability  was 
now  brought  to  bear  on  the  study  of  the  Arabic 
language,  the  one  used  on  her  field  of  labor.  The 
following  year  she  was  married  to  Rev.  John  Gif- 
fen,  of  United  Presbyterian  Mission,  For  five 
years  she  labored  in  Alexandria,  Cairo  and  Assiut, 
but  chiefly  in  the  last  named  point.  In  1881  her 
health  failed.  With  her  husband  she  went  to 
Northern  Italy  with  the  hope  of  regaining  her 
health  there.  Somewhat  benefited,  they  returned 
to  Egypt,  but  she  rapidly  declined,  and  on  the  i6th 
of  October,  1881,  she  died.  One  morning  with 
her  son.  Rev.  Bruce  J.  Gififen,  then  a  missionary  in 
Cairo,  we  rode  out  to  the  American  graveyard 
where  a  little  mound  marks  her  last  resting  place 
till  He  comes.  Nothing  in  all  Egypt  had  for  us 
more  charm  than  that  simple  monument.  But 
that  marble  shaft  is  not  her  only  monument.  There 
are  others  that  tell  more  loudly  her  praises.  She 
had  a  part  in  that  great  work  all  along  the  Nile, 
ranked  today  among  the  first  missionary  work  of 
the  century.  But  especially  she  labored  at  Assiut. 
We  were  shown  into  a  little  room  and  were  told 
that  in  that  small  apartment  she  and  her  husband 
lived,  and  from  that  center  they  labored.  They 
sowed  and  watered  with  their  prayers.  And  what 
has  been  the  outcome?  That  little  room  is  today 
a  mighty  college  with  its  five  hundred  students. 
Throughout  all  Egypt  its  influence  is  felt  in  be- 
half of  righteousness.     Spending  a  Sabbath  within 

in 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

its  walls  and  looking  into  the  faces  of  that  large 
body  of  students,  we  felt  that  our  great  heroine, 
who  was  the  first  to  carry  our  •  banner  into  the 
enemy's  country,  falling  out  there  on  the  firing  line 
right  at  the  front,  had  a  noble  part  in  that  far- 
reaching  work  for  the  young  men  and  young 
women  of  the  Nile  Valley. 

The  Mexican   Mission  Established. 

It  was  evident  that  our  people  were  not  content 
with  the  co-operative  idea.  The  United  Presby- 
terian brethren  had  been  most  generous  in  the 
plan  of  co-operation  as  carried  on  in  the  Egyptian 
Mission,  beyond  anything  we  had  a  right  to  ask 
or  expect;  the  relations  between  the  two  bodies 
had  been  most  cordial  and  harmonious;  Mrs.  Gal- 
loway GifTen  had  proven  a  most  efficient  mission- 
ary during  her* brief  period  of  service;  but  there 
breathed  throughout  the  denomination  the  spirit 
of  an  independent  mission. 

Three  years  after  the  departure  of  Miss  Gallo- 
way, and  three  years  prior  to  her  death,  in  1878, 
the  Synod  resolved  to  establish  an  independent 
mission.  The  field  chosen  was  Mexico.  It  was 
Dr.  J.  I.  Bonner  who  first  proposed  and  advocated 
the  step  that  developed  into  the  new  mission. 

While  the  leaven  of  the  independent  mission 
had  been  at  work,  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  had 
been  preparing  the  pioneer  for  the  place.  He  who 
had  heard  the  cry  of  Israel  groaning  under  the 

112 


OUR  BEGINNING. 

sting-ing  lash  of  the  taskmasters,  and  had  been 
moving  upon  their  hearts  ere  the  set  time  for  their 
dehverance  came,  had  been  preparing  the  liber- 
ator, Moses,  for  forty  years  as  he  tended  his  flock 
through  the  deserts  of  Horeb;  He  who  had  raised 
up  the  throne  of  the  Caesars  and  called  into  being 
the  noble  tongue  of  the  Greeks,  poured  His  Spirit 
from  on  high,  opened  the  way  for  the  Gentiles  to 
enter  the  kingdom,  was  also  making  ready  His 
servant  whom  He  had  called  from  his  birth,  Paul, 
the  apostle,  who  should  plant  the  banner  of  the 
cross  all  the  way  from  Antioch  to  Rome.  The 
same  God  who  had  brought  our  church  step  by 
step  to  the  organization  of  the  new  mission  on 
foreign  soil,  had  been  moving  upon  the  heart  of 
the  worker  on  whose  shoulders  should  fall  the  re- 
sponsibility of  the  founding.  Ere  the  door  was 
opened  tiiat  led  out  into  the  trackless  unknown 
of  our  new  enterprise.  He  had  called  the  pioneer. 
Neill  E.  Pressly,  then  a  student  in  Erskine  Col- 
lege, heard  the  summons  and  did  not  draw  back 
from  the  vision  of  hardships  that  lay  ahead,  but 
with  the  promptness  of  the  seraphic  prophet  an- 
swered. "Here  am  I,  send  me."  It  was  during 
the  farewell  meeting  held  on  the  eve  of  the  de- 
parture of  Miss  Galloway  for  Egypt,  that  he  heard 
the  still  small  voice  quietly  calling  for  volunteers 
for  the  far-away  lands  of  spiritual  darkness.  Little 
did  he  know  to  what  part  of  the  wide  world  the 
voice  would  lead,  but  he  was  resolute  to  follow. 

"3 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

For  three  years  he  studied  and  waited  for  the 
marching  orders.  At  last  the  pillar  of  cloud  led 
the  way  to  Mexico.  The  Synod  had  asked  him  to 
undertake  the  planting  of  the  Mexican  Mission. 

With  Mrs.  Rachel  Pressly,  who  has  stood  by  his 
side  through  all  the  frowning  vicissitudes  and  try- 
ing hardship  of  missionary  life,  and  has  been  a 
most  worthy  helper  in  the  Lord,  they  left  for  their 
field,  reaching  Mexico  City,  January  14,  1879, 
where  they  studied  the  language.  There  they  re- 
mained till  December  of  the  same  year,  when  the 
Board,  in  concert  with  the  missionary,  chose  Tam- 
pico  as  the  base  of  their  missionary  operations. 
And  so  the  Mexican  Mission  became  a  fact. 

Those  were  days  that  tested  what  manner  of 
men  missionaries  were.  It  was  no  holiday  trip,  no 
outing  for  sightseeing.  There  was  only  one  rail- 
road in  the  Republic,  leaving  the  lone  worker  far 
beyond  easy  reach  of  communication.  The  coun- 
try was  not  under  the  firm  grip  of  law  and  order 
as  now.  Bandits  prowled  over  the  country,  and 
fanaticism,  too,  often  had  a  free  hand  with  the  lash 
and  sword  of  persecution.  The  missionaries  had 
behind  them  no  long  years  of  experience  which 
they  might  call  to  their  rescue.  The  work  was 
not  organized.  The  future  was  shrouded  in  mys- 
tery, save  as  the  eye  of  faith  could  discern  the 
shining  way  that  lay  beneath  the  shadows.  Would 
the  mission  succeed?  It  required  the  spirit  of 
Abraham  to  step  out  on  the  untried  shore,  and  a 

114 


OUR  BEGINNING. 

faith  that  lays  its  hand  in  the  Father's  and  walks 
calmly  at  His  side.  But  with  the  spirit  of  Miss 
Galloway,  who  had  gone  to  Egypt,  not  counting 
her  life  dear  unto  herself,  that  she  might  finish  her 
course  with  joy  and  the  ministry  that  she  had  re- 
ceived of  the  grace  of  God,  these  two  brave 
pioneers  set  their  faces  steadfastly  and  followed 
the  Master  into  these  dark  regions  of  Romish  des- 
titution. All  honor  to  these  who  for  thirty-one 
years  have  stood  at  the  outpost,  true  to  their 
church  and  true  to  their  Christ.  Crowns  of  re- 
joicing will  be  theirs  when  the  Master  comes  to 
make  up  His  jewels. 


115 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
OUR  WORKERS. 

FOREIGN  MISSIONARIES. 

Bonner,  Rev.  W.  J — He  is  the  son  of  Dr.  J.  I. 
and  Alice  Bonner,  and  was  born  January  17,  1882, 
at  Oak  Hill,  Alabama.  Under  the  ministry  of 
Rev.  H.  M.  Henry,  he  was  received  into  Bethel 
church  in  1896.  Having  received  his  literary  edu- 
cation at  Auburn  College,  Alabama,  he  took  a 
course  of  study  in  the  Union  Missionary  Institute 
of  Brooklyn,  in  1908-9,  after  which  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  Mexican  Mission.  He  was  married 
to  Miss  Nellie  Rhule  of  Williamsburg,  Pa.,  Sept., 
1909.  The  same  year  the  Tennessee  and 'Alabama 
Presbytery  licensed  him  to  preach  the  gospel.  He 
reached  Rioverde,  Mexico,  November  5,  1909, 
where  he  has  since  resided,  studying  the  language. 

Bonner,  Mrs.  Nellie  Rhule. — She  was  born  at 
Williamsburg,  Pa.,  May  22,  1880,  and  is  the  daugh- 
ter of  A.  J.  and  Almira  Rhule.  In  June  19,  1893, 
she  was  received  into  the  Presbyterian  church  of 
her  native  town.  After  having  graduated  from  the 
Indiana  State  Normal  School  in  1901,  and  from 
the  Moody  Bible  Institute  in  1906,  she  spent  six 
years  teaching,  two  years  in  public  schools,  two 
years  in  Nashville  and  one  in  the  Union  Mission- 
ary Institute  of  Brooklyn.  From  childhood  she 
entertained  the  fond  ambition  to  enter  foreign  mis- 
sionary work,  and  in  1909  saw  her  desire  realized 
by  her  apfKDintment  to  the  Mexican  Mission.  With 

116 


OUR  WORKERS. 

her  husband,  Rev.  W.  J.  Bonner,  to  whom  she  was 
married,  September,  1909,  she  reached  Rioverde, 
Mexico,  Nov.  5,  1909,  where  she  is  studying  the 
language. 

Boyce,  Miss  Mattie — She  was  the  daughter  of 
Samuel  and  Luisa  Boyce,  and  was  born  at  Sardis, 
N.  C,  May  i,  1868.  Early  in  life  she  was  received 
into  the  communion  of  Sardis  (N.  C),  congrega- 
tion. She  graduated  from  the  Due  West  Female 
College  in  1890.  For  years  the  missionary  spirit 
had  been  growing  in  her  heart,  till  one  night  she 
asked  God  very  definitely  that  He  would  reveal 
to  her  His  will.  The  next  day  she  received  a  letter 
from  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  asking  her 
to  accept  an  appointment  to  the  Mexican  Mission. 
It  was  God's  call  and  she  was  ready.  After  one 
year  of  study  under  Prof.  Todd,  of  Erskine  Col- 
lege, she  with  Miss  Stevenson,  left  for  Tampico, 
reaching  there  in  December,  1891.  For  five  years 
she  did  noble  service  for  the  school  work  of  Tam- 
pico, till  broken  health  compelled  her  to  retire 
from  the  field.  However,  she  never  forgot  her 
first  love.  Whether  as  Superintendent  of  the 
Woman's  Work  of  the  Synod,  or  as  Lady  Prin- 
cipal of  the  Due  West  Female  College,  she  was 
ever  true  to  the  claims  of  the  Mexican  Mission. 
She  fell  asleep  in  Jesus  in  Due  West,  June  22, 
1903. 

Dale,  Rev.  J.  Q — He  was  born  at  Oak  Hill, 
Alabama,  June  21,  1870,  his  parents  being  William 

117 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

Dale  and  Sarah  Cole.  At  the  age  of  nine  he  felt 
the  drawings  of  the  Spirit  toward  the  gospel  min- 
istry, and  three  years  later  was  received  into  Bethel 
(Ala.)  church.  Graduating  from  Erskine  College 
in  1892,  and  from  the  United  Presbyterian  Theo- 
logical Seminary  of  Allegheny  in  1896,  he  was 
licensed  by  the  Allegheny  (U.  P.)  Presbytery  in 
1896,  and  ordained  by  the  First  Presbytery  of  the 
Associate  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
same  year.  The  Board  of  Home  Missions  sent 
him  to  Columbia  to  open  work,  where  he  remain- 
ed three  years.  The  Synod  of  1898  appointed  him 
to  the  Mexican  Mission.  He  reached  Rioverde, 
Oct.  8,  1899,  where  he  studied  the  language.  The 
year  following  he  was  married  to  Miss  Katherine 
Neel,  M.D.  Work  was  assigned  him  in  Cerritos, 
but  the  Synod  having  decided  to  establish  the 
Preparatory  and  Theological  School,  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  Rioverde  to  take  charge  of  that  branch 
of  the  mission  work.  The  Rioverde  district  was 
placed  under  his  care  when  Rev.  J.  R.  Edwards  re- 
tired in  1907. 

Dale,  Dr.  Katherine  Neel. — She  is  the  daughter 
of  J.  D.  Neel,  M.D.,  and  Margaret  Pressly,  and 
was  born  at  Troy,  S.  C,  August  13,  1872.  At  the 
age  of  fourteen  she  was  received  into  the  com- 
munion of  the  congregation  at  Troy,  S.  C.  Her 
education  was  completed  in  the  Due  West  Female 
College,  from  which  she  was  graduated  in  1892. 
From  her  earliest  years,  reading  the  lives  of  mis- 

118 


OUR  WORKERS. 

sionaries,  begat  in  her  heart  the  desire  to  become 
a  missionary,  and  the  ambition  grew  with  the  pass- 
ing years.  In  1893  she  was  appointed  by  the 
Board  to  the  Mexican  Mission.  Convinced  of  the 
increased  usefulness  that  would  be  added  by  a 
medical  course,  she  spent  four  years  in  the  Wom- 
an's Medical  College,  of  Philadelphia,  from  which 
she  was  graduated  1897.  After  a  year  in  the  hos- 
pital of  the  same  institution  as  resident  physician, 
she  left  for  the  field,  reaching  Ciudad  del  Maiz  in 
1898,  where  she  labored  till  May  30,  1900,  when 
she  was  married  to  Rev.  J.  G.  Dale.  Later  she 
was  transferred  to  Rioverde,  where  she  practices 
her  profession. 

Edwards,  Rev.  J.  R — He  is  the  son  of  Dr.  E.  H. 
and  Mrs.  A.  E.  Edwards,  and  was  born  near  Rock 
Hill,  S.  C,  May  30,  1867.  At  the  age  of  fourteen 
he  accepted  Christ  as  his  Savior.  Graduating  from 
Erskine  in  i8§8,  after  two  years  spent  in  teaching, 
he  took  the  theological  course  in  Erskine  Semi- 
nary. The  Second  Presbytery  licensed  him  in  1890, 
and  one  year  later  he  was  ordained  to  the  work  of 
the  ministry.  One  year  was  spent  in  Home  Mission 
work  in  Bartow,  Fla.,  and  another  in  post-gradu- 
ate study  at  Princeton,  N.  J.  In  1893  the  Board 
appointed  him  missionary  to  Mexico.  Reaching 
Ciudad  del  Maiz  in  December  of  that  year,  he 
spent  five  months  studying  the  language,  after 
which  he  opened  gospel  work  in  Rioverde,  May 
10,  1894.    After  fourteen  years  of  faithful,  fruitful 

"9 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

service,  broken  health  compelled  his  retirement, 
from  the  field. 

Edwards,  Mrs.  Amelia — She  was  born  in  An- 
derson, S.  C,  September  i6,  1869.  Having  com- 
pleted her  primary  education  in  the  schools  of  An- 
derson, she  was  graduated  from  Anderson  Female 
College  in  1886.  While  yet  young,  she  was  re- 
ceived into  full  communion  of  the  First  Presby- 
terian church  of  her  native  town.  After  having 
prosecuted  the  study  of  art  in  New  York,  she 
taught  in  the  state  of  Texas.  For  two  years  she 
filled  the  position  of  teacher  of  art  in  the  Due 
West  Female  College.  While  there  she  met  Rev. 
J.  R.  Edwards,  and  this  friendship  culminated  in 
marriage,  Oct.  20,  1893.  They  left  at  once  for 
the  mission  field,  where  she  labored  till  broken 
health  forced  her  husband  to  resign  his  post.  She 
has  left  an  enduring  monument  in  the  lives  of 
many  who  came  in  touch  with  her  consecrated  life 
on  the  mission  field. 

Gettys,  Miss  Jennie — She  was  born  Nov.  2, 
1879,  near  Leslie,  S.  C,  within  the  bounds  of 
Neely's  Creek  congregation,  her  parents  being  J. 
R.  and  Mattie  Gettys.  She  was  received  into  the 
church,  August,  1891,  during  the  pastorate  of  Rev. 
C.  B.  Betts.  Reading  the  lives  of  missionaries  in- 
spired her  with  a  desire  to  go  to  the  Regions  Be- 
yond, and  after  her  graduation  from  Winthrop 
Normal  College,  June,  1909,  she  volunteered  for 
foreign    missionary    work,    was   accepted    by    the 

120 


OUR  WORKERS. 

Board  and  sent  to  Tampico  to  take  the  place  of 
Miss  Strong,  who  had  resigned  on  account  of 
broken  health.  She  reached  the  field,  Nov.  6, 
1909,  and  is  at  present  studying  the  language. 

Hunter,  Rev.  J.  S.  A. — He  was  the  son  of  Lorezo 
Hunter  and  Anna  Boyce,  and  was  born  Nov.  13, 
1847,  at  Sardis,  N.  C.  Early  in  life  he  made  a  pro- 
fession of  his  faith  in  Christ.  Graduating  from 
Erskine  College  in  1871,  and  the  Seminary  in 
1873,  the  First  Presbytery  licensed  him  the  samje 
year.  The  following  year  he  was  ordained  to  the 
work  of  the  ministry.  From  1879  to  1887  he 
occupied  the  pastorates  of  Hickory  and  Shady 
Grove  (Arkansas)  congregations.  He  was  married 
to  Miss  Emma  McDill  in  1877.  Having  been  ap- 
pointed to  the  Mexican  Mission,  he  came  to  Tam- 
pico in  1887,  where  he  spent  one  year  studying 
the  language.  Locating  in  Ciudad  del  Maiz,  he 
served  the  mission  for  twenty-two  years  most 
faithfully  till  August  24,  1909,  when  he  passed  to 
his  eternal  reward.  He  was  married  the  second 
time  to  Miss  Rosema  Beamer,  Oct.  28,  1903.  Over 
a  wide  region  he  sowed  the  seed  of  the  gospel, 
traveling  on  horseback  and  enduring  hardness 
most  cheerfully  for  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 
He  organized  churches  in  C.  del  Maiz,  La  Colonia, 
San  Antonio,  Minas  Viejas  and  Valles,  bearing 
sheaves  of  souls  to  his  Master,  which  will  -be  his 
crown  of  rejoicing  in  the  day  of  His  coming. 

Hunter,  Mrs.  Emma  McDill. — She  was  the 
121 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

daughter  of  William  and  Jane  McDill,  and  was 
born  in  Newberry,  S.  C,  May  i8,  1855.  She  was 
graduated  from  the  Due  West  Female  College  in 
1873,  and  four  years  later  was  married  to  Rev.  J. 
S.  A.  Hunter.  For  ten  years  she  labored  with 
him  in  Arkansas,  after  which  she  accompanied  him 
to  Mexico  to  engage  in  the  work  of  the  Mission. 
After  fourteen  years  of  untiring  effort  she  heard 
the  summons  of  the  King  eternal  and  passed  into 
His  presence  to  go  no  more  out  forever.  She  died 
the  death  of  the  righteous,  after  a  life  of  rare  use- 
fulness in  the  service  of  the  Master.  Of  the  most 
winning  ways,  with  a  splendid  command  of  the 
Spanish  language,  deeply  consecrated  to  the  Mas- 
ter's every  interest,  thoroughly  awake  to  ever>' 
opportunity  to  influence  a  soul  for  Christ,  she  did 
a  truly  great  and  telling  work  for  her  Lord  whom 
she  loved  so  whole-heartedly  and  served  so 
heroically. 

Hunter,  Mrs.  Rosema  Beamer. — She  was  the 
daughter  of  Solomon  Beamer  and  Leah  Taylor, 
and  was  born  near  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  May  28,  i860. 
From  her  infancy  she  learned  to  love  her  Savior, 
and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  was  received  into  the 
Methodist  church  of  Altoona,  Pa.  Her  education 
was 'received  in  Dickinson  Seminary  and  at  Chau- 
tauqua. Early  in  life  she  began  to  pity  the  nations 
sitting  in  the  shadows  of  heathen  darkness,  and 
felt  the  call  of  God  to  the  Regions  Beyond.  The 
doors  were  closed  to  her  entering  the  foreign  mis- 

122 


OUR  WORKERS. 

sion  field  till  she  came  to  Mexico,  reaching  Ciudad 
del  Maiz,  Dec.  28,  1903,  with  her  husband,  Rev. 
J.  S.  A.  Hunter,  to  whom  she  had  been  married 
October  28th  of  the  same  year.  Since  the  death 
of  her  husband  she  has  had  charge  of  the  Ciudad 
del  Maiz  school.  Most  nobly  has  she  come  up  to 
the  help  of  the  work  to  which  her  godly  husband 
gave  his  life. 

Love,  Miss  Janie — She  is  the  daughter  of  Rev. 
W.  Y.  and  Mrs.  M.  K.  Love,  aand  was  born  at 
Bloomington,  Tenn.,  September  20,  1882.  At  the 
early  age  of  ten  the  Spirit  knocked  at  the  door  of 
her  heart  and  she  opened  to  her  Savior,  being  re- 
ceived into  the  congregation  of  Coddle  Creek  (N. 
C),  of  which  her  father  was  pastor.  Her  mother's 
prayers  had  prevailed  at  the  throne  of  grace.  She 
was  graduated  from  the  Due  West  Female  College 
in  1903.  From  early  childhood  it  had  been  her 
fond  desire  to  go  to  the  foreign  mission  field.  Dur- 
ing one  of  the  Ashville  (N.  C.)  conferences,  the 
desire  was  forged  into  a  purpose  and  at  the  call 
of  the  Board  she  volunteered.  She  took  charge  of 
the  Ciudad  del  Maiz  school  in  1904,  after  having 
spent  one  year  in  Rioverde  studying  the  language. 
She  was  transferred  to  the  Rioverde  school  in 
1909  and  has  enlisted  her  splendid  musical  |>ower 
in  the  cause 'that  looks  to  the  betterment  of  young 
womanhood. 

McMaster,  Miss  Rachel,  M.D. — She  was  the 
daughter  of  George  and  Lou  Gregg  McMaster, 

123 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

and  was  born  at  Winnsboro,  S.  C,  June  24,  1880. 
During  a  series  of  revival  services  conducted  by 
Dr.  W.  W.  Orr,  in  November,  1894,  she  was  re- 
ceived into  the  church.  Her  education  was  fin- 
ished in  Winthrop  Normal  School,  S.  C,  from 
which  she  was  graduated  in  1901.  During  her 
college  course  she  formed  the  sublime  purpose  to 
lay  her  life  upon  the  altar  of  foreign  missions.  She 
was  graduated  from  the  Woman's  Medical  College, 
of  Philadelphia,  in  1908,  after  which  she  spent  one 
year  in  the  hospital  of  the  same  institution  as  resi- 
dent physician.  She  reached  Rioverde,  February 
21,  1910,  where  she  is  studying  the  language. 

Neel,  Miss  Lavinia — She  is  the  daughter  of  Dr. 
J.  D.  and  Mrs.  Margaret  Pressly  Neel,  and  was 
born  at  Troy,  March  12,  1870.  Due  to  the  godly 
influences  of  her  Christian  home,  she  was  brought 
to  the  Savior  at  the  age  of  fourteen.  After  having 
finished  her  literary  course  in  the  Due  West  Fe- 
male College  in  1889,  she  took  a  post-graduate 
course  ki  art  in  Atlanta  and  New  York.  Under 
the  influence  of  her  mother,  and  later  inspired  by 
the  teachings  of  her  teacher,  Miss  Mildred  Wat- 
kins,  she  decided  to  enter  the  foreign  mission 
work.  Having  reached  Ciudad  del  Maiz  in  1894, 
she  took  charge  of  the  school  there,  remaining  at 
that  post  of  service  till  1903,  when  she  was  trans- 
ferred to  Rioverde  and  placed  in  charge  of  the 
Hattie  May  Chester  Institute.  Her  rare  executive 
faculties  have  been  laid  at  the  feet  of  her  Lord  and 

124 


OUR  WORKERS. 

are  most  telling  factors  in  the  mental  and  moral 
uplift  of  the  girls  of  the  Rioverde  School. 

Pressfy,  Neill  E.,  D.D — He  is  the  son  of  Rev. 
J.  E.  Pressly,  D.D.,  and  Martha  Sherard,  and  was 
born  at  Moffattsville,  S.  C,  Sept.  ii,  1850.  His 
early  years  were  spent  within  the  bounds  of  Cod- 
dle Creek  (N.  C.)  congregation.  Graduating  from 
Erskine  College  and  Seminary  in  1878,  he  was 
licensed  by  the  Second  Presbytery,  April  13.  and 
ordained  Dec.  14  of  the  same  year.  Having  been 
appointed  by  the  Board  to  establish  the  Mexican 
Mission,  he,  with  Mrs.  Pressly,  reached  Mexico 
City,  Jan.  14,  1879,  where  he  spent  the  year  study- 
ing the  language.  December  6,  1879,  he  reached 
Tampico,  where  he  has  since  resided.  In  1901 
Erskine  College  honoreu  aim  with  the  .degree  of 
D.D. 

Pressly,  firs.  Rachel — She  is  the  daughter  of 
H.  L.  Elliot  and  Mary  McMaster,  and  was  born 
Dec.  16,  1848.  Her  education  was  received  in  the 
High  School  of  Winnboro,  S.  C,  and  under  the 
tutorage  of  Dr.  Lord,  of  New  Orleans.  In  1868 
she  was  married  to  Mr.  B.  C.  Roseboro,  who  died 
within  five  years.  During  a  post-graduate  course 
in  the  Due  West  Female  College,  she  met  Rev. 
N.  E.  Pressly,  to  whom  she  was  married  in  1878. 
The  January  following  she  accompanied  him  to 
Mexico. 

Pressly,  Rev.  H.  E — He  was  born  in  Tampico, 
Mexico,  December  9,  1885,  and  is  the  son  of  Rev. 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

N.  E.  and  Rachel  Pressly.  Due  to  the  influences 
of  home  training  he  was  converted  early  in  life, 
and  was  received  into  the  Tampico  congregation 
in  1899.  He  graduated  from  Erskine  College  in 
1906  and  from  Erskine  Theological  Seminary  in 
1909.  During  the  same 'year  the  First  Presbytery 
at  its  meeting  of  May  4  licensed  him,  and  at  the 
meeting  in  November  he  was  ordained  to  the  full 
work  of  the  ministry.  The  Board  of  Foreign  Mis- 
sions appointed  him  to  the  Mexican  Mission  in 
1909,  and  early  in  February,  19 10,  he  took  up  the 
work  of  the  Ciudad  del  Maiz  field,  where  he  at 
present  labors. 

Stevenson,  Miss  Macie — She  was  born  at  Al- 
bion, S.  C,  within  the  bounds  of  New  Hope  con- 
gregation, Nov.  10,  1872.  Her  parents  were 
Robert  Stevenson  and  Margaret  Harlin.  At  the 
early  age  of  twelve  she  accepted  Christ  as  her 
Savior.  Even  before  that  she  often  said  that  she 
was  going  to  be  a  missionary.  Her  words  were 
prophetic.  Her  education  was  finished  in  the  Due 
West  Female  College,  from  which  institution  she 
graduated  in  1890.  The  same  year  she  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  Mexican  Mission,  and  after  one 
year  of  study  of  the  Spanish  under  Prof.  J.  M. 
Todd,  she  left  for  the  field,  reaching  Tampico,  De- 
cember, 1891.  Notwithstanding  the  sweltering 
heat  of  the  coast,  and  the  northers  that  so  often 
sweep  down  upon  them,  she  has  been  at  her  post 
for  nineteen  years.     The  entire  Tampico  field  has 

126 


OUR  WORKERS. 

felt  the  impress  of  her  intellectual  and  spiritual 
power. 

Strong,  Miss  Anna — She  was  born  August  ii, 
1876,  within  the  bounds  of  Salem  (Tenn.)  cong-re- 
gation,  and  was  converted  under  the  ministry  of 
Rev.  J.  H.  Strong,  in  1888,  mostly  through  the 
quiet  life  and  words  of  her  mother.  She  was 
graduated  from  the  Due  West  Female  College  in 
1901.  When  only  seven  years  old  her  mother  read 
to  her  the  life  of  our  first  missionary,  Mrs.  Mary 
Galloway  GifYen,  which  determined  her  to  be  a 
missionary.  Her  purpose  intensified  with  the 
passing  years,  till  in  1903  when  the  Board  appoint- 
ed her  to  the  Mexican  Mission.  After  one  year 
spent  in  studying  the  language  in  Rioverde,  she 
reached  Tampico,  December,  1904.  For  three 
years  she  did  faithful  service,  till  failure  of  health 
compelled  her  to  resign  and  return  to  the  States 
for  rest  and  medical  treatment.  Sorrowfully  she 
said  'Thy  will  be  done,"  and  prayerfully  awaited 
the  divine  summons  to  return.  >  Having  regained 
her  health  sufficiently  to  return  to  the  mission 
field,  she  was  assigned  to  the  Ciudad  del  Maiz 
school,  reaching  there  April  13,  1910,  where  she 
at  present  labors. 

Wallace,  Miss  Fannie — She  was  the  only  daugh- 
ter of  William  Wallace  and  Mary  Higgins,  and 
was  born  March  31,  1873,  at  Paint  Lick,  Ky, 
When  twelve  years  of  age  she  was  received  into 
the  communion  of  New  Hope  congregation.    June 

127 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

30,  1890,  she  was  graduated  from  the  Due  West 
Female  College  with  the  first  honors  of  her  class. 
After  some  post-graduate  work  she  taught  at  Cor- 
sicana,  Texas.  While  there  she  heard  the  call  to 
foreign  mission  work,  and  was  accepted  by  the 
Board  for  the  Mexican  Mission.  A^ter  a  short 
course  of  study  in  the  Moody  Bible  School  of 
Chicago,  she  left  for  Tampico,  December,  1900, 
to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  retirement  of 
Miss  Boyce.  After  but  four  months  of  study  she 
began  her  work  in  the  school  room.  Her  race 
was  soon  run.  Two  years,  less  one  month,  mark- 
ed the  time  limits  of  her  missionary  eareer,  but 
the  years  were  full  for  her  Master.  Nov.  16,  1902, 
she  fell  a  victim  to  yellow  fever,  and  went  to  be 
with  her  Lord,  whom  she  loved  so  well.  Among 
her  last  words  were  "I  am  resigned  to  God's  will. 
My  soul  is  at  peace  with  Him."  Her  memory  is 
as  ointment  poured  forth. 

NATIVE  MINISTERS. 

Butron,  Enoc. — He  was  born  in  Antiguo  More- 
los,  Tamps,  October  29,  1889.  His  educational 
advantages  were  exceedingly  limited,  and  even 
more  so  were  his  opportunities  for  moral  better- 
ment. In  1903  he  was  admitted  to  Preparatory 
School,  where  he  completed  the  literary  course  of 
study.  His  mental  grasp  of  facts  and  their  rela- 
tions were  those  of  a  mature  man  and  not  those  of 
a  lad.     One  year  after  entering  the  school  he  was 

128 


SOME  OF   THE    NATIVE   PASTORS    AND   THE   THEOLOGICAL    STUDENTS. 

Rev.  F.  M.  Meza.  Rev.  Enoc  Butron.  Rev.  G.  Cruz. 

Rev.  Pedro  Trujillo. 
P.  Garcia,  Student.  P.  Castillo,  Student.  F.  Bautista,  Student. 


OUR  WORKERS. 

baptized  into  the  faith  of  the  gospel,  and  his  intel- 
lectual precocity  was  not  more  wonderful  than  his 
rapid  development  in  the  deepest  and  best  things 
of  the  life  hid  with  Christ  in  God.  The  Presbytery 
of  Tampico  received  him  as  student  of  theology  in 
1908,  and  the  following  year  licensed  him  to 
preach  the  gospel.  Having  finished  his  theological 
course  in  1909,  he  was  assigned  to  the  pastorate 
of  the  congregation  of  Ciudad  Fernandez. 

Cruz,  Cresenciano — ^He  is  the  son  of  Rev.  G. 
Cruz  and  Juana  Zuniga,  and  was  born  in  Charco 
Blanco,  near  Ciudad  del  Maiz,  Sept.  14,  1875.  He 
was  one  of  the  charter  members  of  the  congrega- 
tion of  Ciudad  del  Maiz,  having  been  received  in 
1891.  When  eighteen  years  old,  he  was  sent  to 
the  States  for  his  education.  His  literary  course 
was  pursued  at  Erskine  College,  and  he  was  gradu- 
ated from  the  Theological  Seminary  in  1898.  The 
same  year  he  was  licensed  by  the  Second  Presby- 
tery. Returning  to  his  native  land  he  was  or- 
dained by  the  Tampico  Presbytery  in  1900,  and 
was  assigned  work  in  Valles,  where  he  has  since 
labored.  Gifted  by  nature  and  with  his  splendid 
opportunities  for  study  which  he  most  conscien- 
tiously improved,  he  is  a  most  acceptable  preacher 
of  the  gospel.  In' 1900  he  was  married  to  Sra.  Eni- 
dina  Gonzales. 

Cruz,  Guadalupe — He  was  born  Dec.  12,  1839, 
at  Palomas,  a  ranch  near  Ciudad  del  Maiz.  He 
never  attended  school.     His  father  taught  him  to 

129 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

read,  and  with  an  ambition  to  learn,  he  used  the 
few  books  that  fell  into  his  hands  and  acquired  a 
useful  stock  of  information.  When  the  mission- 
aries reached  Ciudad  del  Maiz  it  was  noised  abroad 
that  the  foreign  devils  had  come.  Queer  stories 
were  circulated  as  to  their  beliefs.  Curious  to 
know  what  these  new  comers  did  teach,  Sr.  Cruz 
asked  the  missionaries  for  one  of  their  books.  Car- 
rying the  Bible  home,  he  said  to  his  family,  "This 
is  the  bad  book  of  the  hated  Protestants.  I  am 
going  to  examine  it  carefully  to  see  what  they  be- 
lieve. Till  I  have  done  so,  no  one  in  the  house- 
hold dare  touch  it."  He  read  it  from  Genesis  to 
Revelation.  Finishing  the  reading,  he  announced 
to  his  family  that  the  book  was  of  God,  and  that 
it  was  the  truth.  He  was  going  to  make  the 
Protestants  his  people,  and  their  God  his  God. 
His  entire  family  followed  and  were  baptized  in 
1890.  At  once  he  felt  that  he  was  his  brother's 
keeper,  and  asked  to  be  allowed  to  preach  the  gos- 
pel to  his  fellowmen.  The  Presbytery  licensed  him 
in  1892  and  three  years  later  he  was  ordained.  His 
conversion  created  no  small  stir,  for  he  had  been 
a  Romanist  of  the  straitest  sect.  The  enemies 
of  the  cross  plotted  to  kill  him,  but  he  was  not  a 
reed  to  be  shaken  by  the  winds  of  popular  favor. 
On  horseback  he  went  through  the  ranches  far  and 
near,  talking  the  way  of  salvation  and  giving  away 
tracts.  He  is  a  most  indefatigable  worker.  Though 
seventy-one  years  old,  he  will  ride  sixty  miles  dur- 

130 


OUR  WORKERS. 

ing  the  day  and  preach  that  night.  Ever  zealous 
and  optimistic,  he  loves  his  calling  with  all  his 
soul,  and  does  noble  service  for  his  Lord. 

Hernandez,  Inez. — He  w^as  born  in  Chontla, 
Vera  Cruz,  April  20,  1850.  His  father  was  a 
gambler  of  the  most  dissolute  type,  giving  the 
son  no  opportunity  to  reach  the  best  things  in 
life.  He  grew  up  as  a  common  lad  of  the  ranch  life. 
His  father  forbade  him  to  attend  the  Protestant 
church,  but  he  was  rehgiously  inclined,  and  when 
Rev.  N.  E.  Pressly  came  to  Chiconcillo  to  preach 
the  first  time,  Sr.  Hernandez  was  received  into  the 
church.  He  had  been  at  the  head  of  a  school  in 
his  little  town.  The  infant  congregation  was  left 
in  his  charge.  He  began  a  short  course  of  study 
by  correspondence  under  the  missionary,  and  was 
ordained  to  the  ministry  in  1888.  He  was  married 
to  Senorita  Rosaria  Lugo. 

Meza,  Francisco  Mellado. — He  was  born  in 
Panuco,  Vera  Cruz,  Oct.  6,' 1870.  He  was  left  an 
orphan  at  the  early  age  of  three  years.  When  but 
fourteen  years  old.  Rev.  Zaleta  went  to  Panuco 
doing  gospel  work.  Francisco,  the  young  Indian, 
full  blooded,  was  attracted  by  the  tracts  and  the 
booklets  distributed.  These,  vdth  the  instructions 
of  Rev.  Zaleta,  won  him  for  Christ,  and  he  was 
baptized  by  Rev.  N.  E.  Pressly  in  1885.  Convert- 
ed mind,  body  and  soul,  he  would  go  with  Rev. 
Zalata  on  his  tours  through  the  ranches  and  dis- 
tribute tracts.     Often  when  the  minister  was  un- 

131 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

able  to  meet  his  appyointments,  he  would  send 
Francisco.  After  the  death  'of  Rev.  Zaleta,  the 
Indian  lad  did  good  service  from  ranch  to  ranch, 
reading  the  Bible  to  the  Indians.  At  the  age  of 
twenty.  Rev.  Pressly  took  him  to  Tampico,  where 
he  spent  three  years  in  study  preparing  himself 
for  the  gospel  ministry.  At  Chiconcillo  he  was, 
in  1892,  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel,  and  two 
years  later  he  was  ordained  to  full  work  of  the 
ministry.  The  Presbytery  stationed  him  at  Tan- 
tima  in  1894,  where  he  has  been  laboring  since. 
His  lot  is  cast  among  the  Indians.  He  loves  them, 
their  ways,  their  plains  of  palms  and  "jacales"  of 
cane  with  thatched  roofs,  and  strives  to  bring  them 
under  the  power  of  the  gospel.  Throughout  all 
that  region  he  is  known  as  a  fearless  exponent  of 
those  high,  bedrock  principles  of  righteousness  and 
truth,  and  best  of  all,  his  life  is  a  shining  light. 
Senorita  Galdina  Botello  became  his  wife  in  1893 
and  has  been  a  noble  helpmeet  in  the  Lord. 

Sanchez,  Tomas — He  was  born  in  Valerosa  de 
Peto,  in  the  state  of  Yucatan,  in  1872.  He  lived 
a  nominal  Roman  Catholic,  but  a  most  dissolute 
character,  till  he  was  twenty-six  years  old.  He 
came  under  the  influence  of  a  native  Christian,  a 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Merida, 
who  gave  him  a  Bible  and  persuaded  Sr.  Sanchez 
to  accompany  him  to  a  gospel  service.  Just  four 
months  afterwards,  he  was  received  into  the  full 
communion  of  the  church.     Storms  of  persecution 

132 


OUR  WORKERS. 

broke  upon  him.  The  bitterest  enemies  were  those 
of  his  own  household.  His  wife  made  hfe  well 
nigh  unbearable  for  him,  but  he  stood  bravely  for 
the  truth,  and  bore  faithful  testimony  for  his  Lord, 
even  when  brought  before  the  civil  authorities 
who  had  received  false  accusations  against  him. 
None  of  these  things  moved  him.  He  laid  his 
heart  upon  the  altar  of  the  Master  and  strove  to 
do  His  will,  and  soon  saw  his  wife  converted  to 
the  gospel  she  had  so  defiantly  opposed  for  years. 
Rev.  Chas.  Millar,  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  en- 
couraged him  to  study  for  the  ministry,  which  he 
did.  Reaching  Coyoacan  in  1905,  he  entered  the 
Seminary.  He  accepted  work  in  Ciudad  Fernan- 
dez in  1909,  where  he  remained  for  a  few  months 
until  he  was  transferred  to  Cerritos. 

Torres,  Simon  S — He  was  born  at  Salinas  del 
Tapado,  S.  L.  P.,  Sept.  28,  1867.  His  family  being 
nomadic  in  character,  he  was  denied  the  opportuni- 
ties of  even  the  most  elementary  education,  till 
eighteen  years  of  age.  He  came  under  the  influ- 
ence of  the  Methodists,  who  led  him  to  Christ  in 
1885,  and  sent  him  tO'  Laurens  Institute  of  Mon- 
terey. Leaving  school  he  felt  something  of  the 
inward  burning  of  the  spirit  of  Paul,  "Woe  is  me 
if  I  preach  not  the  gospel."  He  heard  that  there 
were  at  Tantoyuca,  Vera  Cruz,  two  hundred  miles 
away,  several  men  liberally  inclined,  who  had  of- 
fered to  support  a  minister  who  should  preach 
them  the  words  of  life.     He  went  to  answer  the 

133 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

call.  They  met  their  oblig-ation  for  only  two 
months,  but  the  young  herald  of  good  news  was 
not  dismayed.  Like  the  great  apostle,  he  went  to 
work  with  his  hands,  making  shoes  by  day  and 
preaching  the  gospel  by  night.  Thus  he  labored 
for  two  years.  In  1896  he  asked  to  be  received 
by  the  Tampico  Presbytery,  being  licensed  the 
following  year.  During  his  early  days  he  imbibed 
not  a  little  of  the  Methodist  fire,  and  it  has  burned 
all  through  the  years.  His  nature  is  of  devotional 
type.  He  is  a  most  loyal  servant  of  the  kingdom. 
On  horseback,  enduring  hardness  as  a  good  sol- 
dier, he  travels  over  his  large  parish  feeding  the 
multitudes  with  the  bread  of  life.  In  1896  he 
married  one  of  his  converts  in  Tantoyuca,  Senorita 
Marcelina  Echavarri.     He  resides  at  Chalahuite. 

Trujillo,  Pedro — He  was  the  son  of  Cipriano 
Trujillo  and  Micaela  Brito,  and  was  born  April  29, 
1846,  in  Mexico  City.  He  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools,  and  then  took  a  commercial 
course,  receiving  on  graduation  a  certificate  of 
proficiency,  signed  by  the  great  Benito  Juarez. 
While  yet  a  young  man  he  identified  himself  with 
the  Protestant  movement,  then  just  beginning  in 
Mexico.  Through  the  preaching  of  a  converted 
Catholic  priest,  Sr.  Aguas,  he  was  converted  in 
1870,  connecting  with  the  Episcopal  church.  In 
1874,  when  Rev,  Hutchinson  of  the  Presbyterian 
mission  began  work  in  Mexico  City,  Sr.  Trujillo 
with  Sr.  Morales,  now  called  the  Moody  of  Mexico, 

134 


OUR  WORKERS. 

began  gospel  work  under  the  direction  of  the 
Presbyterian  missionary.  Sr.  Trujillo  spent  some 
time  at  Tisapan,  after  which  he  was  sent  to  Tam- 
pico,  where  he  labored  till  our  mission  was  es- 
tablished there.  In  1880  he  was  transferred  at  his 
own  request  to  our  mission,  and  in  1884  was  or- 
dained to  full  work  of  the  gospel  ministry.  Asso- 
ciated with  the  missionary  of  Tampico,  he  labors 
in  that  congregation  as  well  as  those  of  Dona 
Ceciha  and  Las  Lomas  del  Real.  Linked  with 
his  natural  gifts,  his  deep  piety  makes  him  an  ef- 
ficient minister  of  the  gospel. 

Zaieta,  Zenon. — He  was  born  in  Ozuluamo, 
Vera  Cruz,  April  12,  1855.  From  Chiconcillo  he 
went  to  Tampico  to  work,  and  was  there  con- 
verted, being  the  first  man  baptized  in  the  Mexi- 
can Mission.  His  was  a  salvation  too  genuine  to 
admit  of  a  doubt.  The  world  had  no  charm  for 
him.  With  something  of  the  yearning  of  Paul 
over  the  Jewish  nation,  he  longed  to  carry  the 
gospel  to  his  own  people.  After  three  years  of 
study  under  Dr.  Pressly,  he  was  licensed  by  the 
Tampico  Presbytery  in  1885,  and  sent  to  Panuco, 
Vera  Cruz.  His  career  was  short.  Only  three 
years  was  he  permitted  to  work  for  the  Master, 
but  they  were  full  years.  He  fell  a  victim  to  the 
white  plague,  and  in  1888  he  fell  asleep  in  Jesus. 
He  was  a  man  full  of  faith  and  the  Holy  Spirit. 


135 


CHAPTER  IX. 

OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

By  all  means  save  some  is  our  supreme  ambition 
and  all-determining  missionary  aim;  and  any 
instrumentality  that  will  administer  to  that  end 
must  be  pressed  into  service.  No  worker  will  tie 
himself  down  to  any  ironclad  list  of  agencies  for 
making  the  gospel  known  to  those  without  God 
and  without  hope.  Rather  any  legitimate  help 
will  be  used  that  will  effectively  bring  the  gospel 
to  bear  on  the  minds  and  hearts  of  those  com- 
mitted to  our  spiritual  keeping.  When  the  la- 
mented Mrs.  Emma  Hunter,  who  was  without  a 
peer  in  the  sphere  of  soul-winning,  went  to  Ciudad 
del  Maiz,  she  found  that  the  people  stood  aloof 
from  the  missionaries.  Her  ingenuity  began* to  de- 
vise some  means  that  would  bring  her  in  touch 
with  the  women.  She  saw  that  all  the  Mexican 
ladies  were  lovers  of  flowers,  and  so  she  brought 
from  the  United  States  flower  seed,  and  not  a  few 
dared  to  enter  the  missionary  home  to  buy  the 
foreign  flowers.  She  would  seize  the  opportunity 
to  tell  them  of  the  "Rose  of  Sharon  and  the  Lily 
of  the  valley."  She  also  brought  little  cake  pans 
and  other  novelties  that  would  attract  the  people 
and  bridge  the  wide  gulf  which  fanaticism  had 
reared  between  her  and  the  souls  she  labored  to 
win. 

136 


■>x. 


y 


OUR     DECEASED    MISSIUM  AKl  ts. 

Rev.   J.    S.    A.    Hunter.  Mrs.   Emma   McDill   Hunter. 

Miss   Fannie   Wallace. 


Miss   Mattie   Boyce. 


OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

Nearby  was  a  large  plantation  owned  by  an 
American.  She  offered  to  sell  the  sugar  from  her 
front  window,  and  selhng  it  cheap,  many  of  the 
poor  came  to  buy.  She  made  nothing  in  dollars 
and  cents,  but  she  was  always  ready  with  a  word 
for  her  Lord,  When  they  came  on  Sabbath,  she 
told  them  why  she  could  not  sell  and  urged  the 
obligation  to  keep  the  Lord's  day  of  rest. 

And  every  field  has  its  own  ways  of  working. 
The  nature  of  the  conditions  obtaining  there  de- 
termine which  are  the  most  practicable.  The  wise 
general  surveys  well  the  field  on  which  the  mili- 
tary operations  are  to  be  cast,  and  with  all  the 
data  in  mind,  decides  whether  he  will  rush  the 
mounted  cavalry  or  bring  up  the  lines  of  infantry; 
whether  he  will  order  a  bayonet  charge  or  use  the 
long  range  siege  guns;  whether  he  will  storm  the 
opposing  lines  or  throw  up  breastworks  and  lie  on 
the  defensive.  It  is  so  with  the  soldiers  on  the  far- 
flung  battle  lines  of  missionary  conquest.  In  China 
the  missionaries  go  through  the  streets  preaching 
the  gospel  to  the  curious  crowds  that  gather  on 
the  corners  or  in  the  market  places.  In  Mexico 
the  law  expressly  forbids  any  religious  service  on 
the  street.  For  this  reason  is  barred  out  the  noble 
Salvation  Army  that  in  other  lands  has  won  from 
the  depths  of  woe  so  many  immortal  souls  and 
sent  them  toward  glory  with  a  new  song  in  their 
mouths.  In  Africa  great  stress  is  laid  on  Indus- 
trial Missions,  whereas  in  MexicO'  in  all  the  forty 

137 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

years  of  gospvel  effort  only  one  attempt  has  been 
made  along  that  line  and  it  is  in  its  bare  incipiency. 
However,  there  are  certain  agencies  which  are 
practicable  in  all  mission  fields.  By  common  con- 
sent they  are  the  most  effective.  Of  these  used 
by  our  mission,  let  us  take  them  up  for  study  one 
by  one. 

Evangelistic  Work. 

This  refers  to  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  by 
the  missionary  or  the  native  pastor,  from  the  pul- 
pits of  the  organized  congregations,  in  the  homes 
where  they  are  permitted  to  hold  services  however 
informal,  and  on  itinerating  trips  through  the 
country.  To  convey  a  clear  idea  of  the  modus 
operandi,  the  fields  will  be  discussed  in  the  order 
of  the  organization. 

I.  The  Tampico  Field.  Rev.  N.  E.  Pressly, 
Superintendent. 
(i)  The  Tampico  Congregation,  Revs.  N.  E. 
Pressly  and  Pedro  Trujillo,  pastors.  A  colporteur, 
Francisco  Escobar,  reached  Tampico  in  1875  and 
succeeded  in  selling  a  number  of  Bibles.  Impress- 
ed with  the  possibilities  of  the  town,  on  returning 
to  Mexico  City  he  urged  Rev.  Hutchinson  to  send 
a  gospel  worker  there.  Sr.  Pedro  Trujillo  answer- 
ed the  call,  reaching  the  port  Dec.  26,  1875.  The 
opposition  was  exceedingly  bitter  and  the  progress 
very  slow.  When  Rev.  N.  E.  Pressly,  after  one 
year  of  study  was  ready  for  work,  and  our  Board 

138 


1^-3^  J- ~i^J^^^^  ^^^  VV  '.'  --'.N^i>  '^'"i^  ^3>  -^^  -'^U 


THE    CHURCH    OF    TAMPICO. 


itt 

^^ 

J&ffl^lJPmBPy-     ^p 

193C| 

p-— "^ 

I^HMi^  ]l|^|  ---^  ■ 

J3  ■■       ^H.  li^l 

LiM 

^ 

'^ 

THE     GRAVE    OF    THE    LATE     MISS     FANNIE     WALLACE. 


OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

was  casting  about  for  a  base  of  opera- 
tions, the  Presbyterian  Board  cheerfully  turn- 
ed over  to  our  church  the  Tampico  sta- 
tion, both  on  account  of  the  discouragements 
and  the  inaccessibihty  of  the  field  from  their  cen- 
ter. From  the  first  an  old  warehouse  on  Muelle 
street  served  as  a  chapel.  Those  were  trying  days 
for  the  lone  gospel  heralds.  But  they  had  in  their 
spiritual  makeup  that  of  which  martyrs  are  made, 
and  against  fearful  odds  contended  earnestly  for 
the  faith.  For  more  than  a  year  no  one  dared 
enter  the  chapel  save  the  missionaries  and  their 
families.  Fanaticism  excluded  all  the  rest.  About 
eighteen  months  passed  and  the  light  began  to 
break  upon  the  dense  darkness.  The  first  person 
baptized  was  a  poor  old  blind  lady,  Jesus  Gonzalez. 
Others  were  received,  and  July  3,  1881,  the  Lord's 
Supper  was  administered  for  the  first  time  there. 
For  ten  years  the  congregation  worshipped  in  the 
chapel.  In  1889  a  lot  was  bought  on  Muelle  and 
Estrado  streets,  and  a  beautiful  church  erected, 
costing  $5550.     It  was  dedicated  Jan.  17,  1890. 

Under  the  supervision  of  the  pastor  and  asso- 
ciate, the  work  has  grown  to  a  membership  of 
117.  'And  the  cause  has  grown  financially  as  well, 
paying  each  year  the  salary  of  Rev.  Pedro  Trujillo 
in  full.  A  Christian  Endeavor  Society,  with  one 
hundred  and  nine  members  contributing  last  year 
$217.13,  a  Sabbath  School  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  members,  and  a  Juvenile  Society  of  31, 

139 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

under  the  direction  of  Miss  Macie  Stevenson,  are 
most  valuable  helpers  in  the  work  of  the  congre- 
gation. 

(2)  Dona  Cecilia.  Revs.  N.  E.  Pressly  and 
Pedro  Trujillo,  pastors.  This  is  a  suburban  town 
of  Tampico,  three  miles  farther  toward  the  beach. 
Repair  shops  of  the  National  Railways  of  Mexico 
and  branch  works  of  the  Standard  Oil  Co.  are  lo- 
cated there,  both  of  which  attract  many  seeking 
employment.  Gospel  work  was  begun  there, 
August,  1 90 1.  Eleven  members  have  been  gath- 
ered into  the  church.  Last  year  they  contributed 
$100  towards  the  building  fund  for  the  Tantima 
chapel. 

(3)  Las  Lomas  del  Real.  Revs.  N.  E.  Pressly 
and  Pedro  Trujillo,  pastors.  The  town  lies  on  the 
coast  to  the  north  of  Tampico,  about  25  miles  dis- 
tant. Well  nigh  the  entire  population  of  500  in- 
habitants are  engaged  in  the  salt  business.  The 
northern  winds  bring  the  sea  water  overland  into 
artificial  lakes,  where  the  salt  is  deposited,  the 
water  having  escaped  by  evaporation.  Sixteen 
years  ago  the  gospel  found  entrance  there.  Far 
back  in  1903  a  Bible  was  picked  up  from  a  trash 
pile  in  Tampico  and  fell  into  the  hands  of  Sr. 
Pedro  Garcia  of  Las  Lomas  del  Real.  He  read  the 
book  with  ever  sharpening  avidity.  Its  teachings 
gripped  his  heart  and  life.  At  the  same  time  there 
came  to  his  town  a  silversmith  who  had  fled  from 
the  fierce  persecution  which  the  Protestants  on  the 

140 


OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

Pacific  coast  suffered.  Daily  as  he  worked  he  kept 
his  Bible  before  him,  and  when  anyone  entered  he 
hid  it  in  his  drawer.  One  day  Dn.  Pedro  saw  the 
book  and  insisted  that  he  be  allowed  to  read  its 
pages.  The  two  men  became  mutual  helpers  in  the 
Lord.  They  invited  Rev.  Pedro  Trujillo,  of  Tampi- 
co,  to  preach  in  their  town  and  in  the  home  of  Dn. 
Pedro.  The  missionary  at  once  entered  the  opened 
door  and  the  first  service  was  held  Dec.  30,  1903. 
Sr.  Garcia  became  the  life  of  the  work.  In  his 
home  was  made  ready  the  chamber  for  the  com- 
ing of  the  prophet  once  a  month.  On  the  other 
Sabbaths  he  gathered  the  little  band  in  his  home 
and  taught  them  the  way  of  life  in  Christ.  His 
was  a  light  that  burned  and  shone.  He  stirred 
the  members  with  the  purpose  of  building  a  chapel 
and  though  when  first  finished  it  was  well  nigh 
destroyed  by  a  cyclone,  they  had  a  mind  to  work 
and  rebuilt  the  house  of  worship,  which  was  dedi- 
cated in  August,  1909.  The  membership  has 
grown  to  twenty  in  the  face  of  the  most  bitter 
opposition.  In  1909  Dn.  Pedro  was  called  to  serve 
in  the  upper  sanctuary.  Under  his  leadership  the 
little  body  of  Christians  have  borne  most  telling 
testimony  for  the  Lord  there,  and  now  that  he 
will  meet  no  more  with  them,  to  judge  by  the  past, 
they  will  still  hold  forth  the  word  of  life,  shining  as 
a  light  in  a  dark  place. 

(4)  Chiconcillo.  •    Rev.  Inez  Hernandez,  pastor. 
The  village  lies  one  hundred  miles  south  of  Tam- 

141 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

pico.  A  young  man,  Zenon  Zaleta,  had  gone  from 
Chiconcillo  to  Tampico  to  learn  the  blacksmith's 
trade.  There  he  was  converted  and  became  instru- 
mental in  opening  the  way  for  the  missionary  to 
go  to  his  native  village  and  preach  the  gospel  in 
1882,  when  a  goodly  number  were  received  into 
the  church.  The  present  membership  is  37.  Tapa 
Boca  and  La  Labor  are  offsprings  from  this  con- 
gregation. At  the  former  place  Rev.  Hernandez 
preaches' from  time  to  time.  Estero,  with  10  mem- 
bers, is  another  branch  of  Chiconcillo,  where  Don 
Pablo  Morato  reads  and  explains  the  Word  of 
God  to  the  ranchmen  each  Sabbath. 

(5)  Chalahuite.  Rev.  S.  S.  Torres,  pastor.  The 
worker  was  transferred  to  Chalahuite  in  1907.  It  is 
a  village  of  five  hundred  souls,  about  25  miles  from 
Tuxpan.  There  the  worker  has  won  thirteen  souls 
for  Christ,  at  San  Francisco  a  neighboring  ranch 
of  three  hundred  inhabitants,  twenty  souls,  and 
at  San  Lorenzo,  another  ranch  near,  of  fifty 
people,  six  members.  'Many  of  these  were  mem- 
bers, or  related  to  members  of  Chiconcillo.  At 
San  Lorenzo,  a  member,  Sr.  Nicefero  Santiago,  has 
built  at  his  own  expense  a  little  chapel  costing 
approximately  $400. 

(6)  Tantima.  Rev.  Francisco  Meza,  pastor.  The 
town  has  a  population  of  1550  souls,  and  is  situat- 
ed about  one  hundred  miles  southwest  of  Tampico. 
Rev.  N.  E.  Pressly  preached  there  in  1882,  but  no 
regular  work  was  attempted  till  1893,  when  Rev. 

142 


REV.     S.     S.     TORRES    AND     CONGREGATIONS. 


THE    TANTIMA    CHAPEL. 


OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

Meza  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  station.  The 
field  has  been  an  unusually  difficult  one,  still 
twenty-two  souls  have  been  led  out  of  the  dark- 
ness into  the  light  of  life.  In  1909  a  commodious 
building  was  bought  and  converted  into  a  chapel 
costing  $750.  From  this  center  the  pastor  visits 
Ozuluama  and  La  Labor,  preaching  once  and 
twice  a  month.  At  the  latter  ranch  are  19  mem- 
bers. 

(7)  Vega  de  Otates.  Rev.  N.  E.  Pressly,  pastor. 
This  is  a  small  ranch  of  about  fifty  inhabitants  a 
few  miles  from  Panuco,  Vera  Cruz.  Work  was 
begun  there  by  Rev.  Zenon  Zaleta.  From  time 
to  time  Dr.  Pressly  makes  pastoral  visits  there. 
The  membership  is  9. 

2.     The  Ciudad  del  Maiz  Field.     Rev.  H.  E. 
Pressly,  Superintendent. 

(i)  Ciudad  del  Maiz  Congregation.  Rev.  H.  E. 
Pressly,  pastor.  After  one  year  of  study  in  Tam- 
pico.  Rev.  J.  S.  A.  Hunter  took  an  itinerating  trip 
through  the  state  of  San  Luis  Potosi  with  the  view 
of  selecting  a  station  for  work.  He  chose  Ciudad 
del  Maiz.  With  his  family  he  reached  there  April 
6,  1889.  Going  by  train  over  the  National  R.  R. 
to  Rascon,  the  terminus  of  the  road  then  built, 
but  subsequently  projected  to  San  Luis  Potosi, 
they  completed  the  journey  in  a  coach  over  fifty- 
five  miles  of  the  roughest  mountain  road.  Of  all 
the  towns  of  the  state  none  was  more  fiercely  fan- 

H3 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

atical  than  this  to  which  they  had  come.  It  was 
by  a  sheer  work  of  Providence  that  they  secured 
a  house.  They  had  rented  the  place  and  were 
settled  before  the  owners  hardly  knew  who  they 
were  and  what  their  business.  One  night  they 
walked  out  to  the  public  square.  A  friend  after- 
wards told  them  that  he  had  followed  them  home, 
feeling  sure  that  they  would  be  attacked  and  pos- 
sibly killed.  On  the  streets  rocks  were  thrown  at 
them.  Through  the  windows  stones  were  hurled 
at  the  missionary  while  preaching.  They  were 
looked  upon  as  veritable  demons  and  the  crowds 
would  mete  out  to  them  such  treatment  as  the 
emissaries  of  the  infernal  regions  deserved.  But 
God  had  a  work  for  them.  Their  hour  had  not 
come.  For  one  year  the  missionary  preached  to 
an  audience  composed  of  his  wife  and  children. 
Even  the  cook  would  always  smoke  as  she  passed 
through  the  house  "to  keep  the  evil  spirits  from 
entering  her,"  so  she  said.  Undismayed  by  these 
things  seemingly  against  them,  the  missionaries 
toiled  and  prayed  and  waited.  After  two  years  of 
effort,  lacking  two  months,  God's  set  time  came, 
and  twelve  were  baptized,  the  first  fruits  of  their 
labors.  Of  these  charter  members,  two  afterwards 
became  ministers  of  the  gospel,  Revs.  G.  and  C. 
Cruz.  Two  years  later  a  lot  in  the  central  section 
of  the  town  was  bought.  On  one  side  of  the  lot 
was  a  house  which  became  the  parsonage,  while 
on  the  other  side  was  built  and  dedicated,  Dec. 

144 


OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

12,  1896,  a  handsome  church  edifice,  costing  $7,- 
000.  The  present  membership  consists  of  33  per- 
sons, the  Christian  Endeavor  Society  has  40,  the 
Juvenile  Society  37  members,  and  the  Sabbath 
School  42.  Aside  from  the  expenses  of  the  con- 
gregational work,  $75  was  contributed  last  year 
toward  the  salary  of  Rev.  Torres,  the  missionary 
of  the  Presbytery. 

(2)  La  Colonia  de  Gutierrez,  Rev.  G.  Cruz,  pas- 
tor. La  Colonia  is  a  village  of  250  souls,  seven 
miles  east  'from  Ciudad  del  Maiz.  About  1892 
Rev.  G.  Cruz  began  work  there,  and  after  two 
years  the  first  converts  were  baptized.  Quite  a 
large  proportion  of  the  inhabitants  are  Italians  and 
most' stubbornly  fanatical.  Still  the  seed  sown  has 
brought  forth  a  harvest  of  thirteen  souls.  A  neat 
little  chapel,  with  a  seating  capacity  of  fifty  per- 
sons, has  been  built.    The  membership  is  13.' 

(3)  San  Antonio.  Rev.  H.  E.  Pressly,  pastor. 
The  village  lies  to  the  north  of  Ciudad  del  Maiz 
twelve  miles  distant.  Revs.  Hunter  and  G.  Cruz 
have  made  itinerating  trips  through  the  place  from 
time  to  time,  talking  and  preaching  the  gospel, 
till  they  succeeded  in  organizing  a  little  congrega- 
tion on  Dec.  16,  1906.  Intensely  fanatical  at  first, 
much  of  the  opposition  has  been  overcome,  till 
eighteen  souls  have  come  out  on  the  Lord's  side, 
representing  five  families.  There  is  an  average  at- 
tendance of  35  at  the  preaching  services  held  week- 
ly.   A  beautiful  httle  chapel  has  been  erected,  cost- 

145 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

ing  $400,  contributed  by  the  Young  People's  So- 
cieties of  the  Synod,  and  was  dedicated  April, 
1906,  Rev.  J.  R.  Edwards  preaching  the  sermon. 

(4)  Valles.  Rev.  Crecenciano  Cruz,  pastor. 
Gospel  work  was  begun  in  June,  1899.  The  fol- 
lowing year  the  first  members  were  received.  Since 
that  time  thirty-one  have  been  received,  of  whom 
nineteen  are  at  present  members.  Among  these 
are  represented  six  families.  Last  year  $336  were 
contributed  toward  the  work  of  the  Lord.  Owing 
to  the  liberal  spirit  of  the  place,  gospel  work  makes 
slow  progress  there. 

3.     The  Rioverde  Field.    Rev.  J,  G.  Dale, 
Superintendent. 

(i)  The  Rioverde  Congregation.  Rev.  J.  G. 
Dale,  pastor.  The  pioneer  worker  of  this  field 
was  Rev.  J.  R.  Edwards,  who  opened  the  mission 
in  Rioverde,  May  10,  1894.  Prior  to  his  arrival, 
Sr.  Forcado,  a  native  minister,  had  preached  for 
a  short  while  •  in  the  town,  but  left  no  visible 
result  of  his  labors.  He  had  retired  before 
the  missionary  arrived.  The  sowing  of  the  good 
seed  found  the  same  rocky  soil  of  ignorance  and 
superstition,  the  same  scorching  rays  of  fanaticism 
as  had  attended  gospel  efforts  in  other  parts.  Dur- 
ing the  first  two  years,  nine  members  were  receiv- 
ed into  the  church.  The  services  were  held  in  the 
home  of  the  missionary  till  1897,  when  a  substan- 
tial chapel,  costing  $1500,  was  erected  near  the 

146 


^R'tm 

■ 

^ 

^ 

^KfK^  ,Nh«.>^i:  -V"<^^^  ..JS^^tUt^^MB^f^m 

""^bL 

i  ^"  f 

OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

center  of  the  town.  After  fourteen  years  of  labor, 
Rev.  Edwards  was  compelled  to  retire  from  the 
field  on  account  of  ill  health,  but  his  efforts  had  not 
fallen  short  of  an  abundant  fruitage.  Sixty-four 
persons  had  been  received  into  the  church,  a  hand- 
some chapel  had  been  built  for  the  congregation, 
a  neat  house  of  worship  had  been  erected  in  Ciudad 
Fernandez,  a  parsonage  and  an  Orphanage  home, 
all  finished  without  the  extra  cost  of  an  architect 
or  contractor.  Besides  he  had  carried  the  gospel 
into  Mojarres,  a  little  ranch  twenty-five  miles  in 
the  mountains,  and  had  won  there  three  souls  for 
his  Lord.  Gifted  with  a  special  linguistic  ability 
that  enabled  him  to  take  hold  of  his  work  with  a 
vigorous  grasp  after  only  a  few  months  of  study, 
with  a  capacity  to  form  friendships  that  made  the 
onslaughts  of  fanaticism  less  effective,  and  with  a 
fitness  for  pastoral  work  that  endeared  him  to  his 
flock  by  ties  that  years  can  not  sever,  this  pioneer 
herald  of  the  cross  proved  himself  worthy  of  a 
place  among  those  heroes  who  stand  at  the  front 
amid  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  faithful  and  true. 

When  Rev.  J.  R.  Edwards  retired  from  the  field 
in  1907  because  of  ill  health,  the  work  was  placed 
in  charge  of  Rev.  J.  G.  Dale,  then  at  the  head  of 
the  Preparatory  and  Theological  School,  he  still 
retaining  his  place  in  the  educational  work.  Locat- 
ed at  the  principal  educational  center  of  the  mis- 
sion, the  congregation  has  magnificent  advantages 
for  gospel  effort  among  the  student  body  of  the 

147 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

schools.  For  these,  special  services  are  held  each 
year  in  the  chapel.  The  good  hand  of  God  has 
been  upon  the  congregational  activities.  The 
present  membership  is  97.  The  Sabbath  School 
with  126  pupils,  the  Christian  Endeavor  Society 
with  53  members,  the  Junior  Endeavor  Society 
with  40  little  workers,  and  the  Woman's  Aid  So- 
ciety with  40  devoted  Dorcases,  are  noble  helpers 
in  the  Lord's  vineyard.  Notable  is  the  spirit  of 
prayer  among  the  members.  Each  Sabbath  morn- 
ing after  the  religious  service,  more  than  an  hour 
long,  volunteers  wait  for  an  half-hour  of  prayer  for 
the  coming  of  the  Spirit  upon  the  congregational 
efforts,  and  from  fifty  to  seventy-five  spend  the 
season  waiting  upon  God  for  power. 

(2)  Ciudad  Fernandez.  Rev.  Enoc  Butron,  pas- 
tor. Prior  to  1900  Rev.  Edwards  had  preached 
there  occasionally.  A  neat  chapel  was  erected  in 
1900  and  dedicated  the  following  year.  The 
structure  cost  about  $400.  Owing  to  the  dogged 
fanaticism  of  the  town,  as  well  as  the  lack  of  a 
regular  pastor,  the  progress  has  been  very  slow. 
Though  Rev.  Tomas  Sanchez  had  charge  of  Ciu- 
dad Fernandez  for  several  months  in  1909,  much 
of  his  time  was  spent  in  Cerritos  in  the  interest  of 
the  work  there.  Sixteen  members  have  been  re- 
ceived since  the  organization. 

(3)  Cerritos.  Rev.  Tomas  Sanchez,  pastor. 
This  field  has  suffered  from  the  repeated  interrup- 
tions in  the  history  of  the  missionary  efforts  there. 

148 


OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

Years  ago  a  Presbyterian  native  minister  was  sta- 
tioned at  that  point,  but  after  a  few  months  of 
work  was  moved  to  another  place.  After  the  lapse 
of  several  years,  Rev.  J.  G.  Dale  was  stationed 
there,  but  within  a  few  months  was  placed  in 
charge  of  the  Preparatory  and  Theological  school, 
and  was  transferred  to  Rioverde.  No  native  min- 
ister having  been  available,  the  field  was  abandon- 
ed till  1909,  when  Rev.  Sanchez  made  monthly 
trips.  To  add  to  the  difficulties  of  the  field,  the 
Catholic  Church  has  lost  its  grip  on  many  of  the 
influential  families,  and  these  have  come  to  regard 
themselves  as  belonging  to  the  liberal  class,  which 
is  but  another  name  for  infidelity.  However,  the 
labors  there  have  not  been  in  vain.  In  April,  191  o, 
a  church  was  organized  with  six  members  and  with 
about  twenty-five  adherents. 

(4)  Cardenas.  Rev.  J.  G.  Dale,  pastor.  The 
town  is  situated  on  the  National  Railway  line  from 
San  Luis  Potosi  to  Tampico,  about  fifty  miles  east 
of  Cerritos,  and  by  rail  the  same  distance  from 
Rioverde.  The  repair  shops  being  located  there, 
families  come  from  the  surrounding  country  seek- 
ing employment.  It  has  a  population  of  about 
800  souls.  The  congregation  was  organized  in 
1909.  Occasional  pastoral  visits  are  made  from 
Rioverde.  Due  to  the  fact  that  the  services  are 
not  held  with  any  regularity,  the  progress  has  not 
been    rapid.      The   members,    eleven    in    number, 

149 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

meet  each  Sabbath  for  the  study  of  the  Word  of 
God.     It  is  a  most  loyal  little  band  of  beUevers. 

Educational  Work. 

The  ultimate  end  of  the  mission  school  is  not 
the  social  uplift  or  the  mere  intellectual  betterment 
of  heathen  childhood.  Laudable  as  are  these  as- 
pirations in  themselves,  something  nobler  nerves 
the  missionary  teacher  to  meet  the  hard  tasks  that 
draw  so  heavily  upon  the  energies  of  head  and 
heart.  They  would  lift  the  heathen  children  up 
out  of  the  wild,  heathen  surroundings,  lead  them 
from  the  lowlands  of  gross  ignorance,  where  bigot- 
ed fanaticism  best  thrives  and  give  them  visions 
of  those  things,  pure,  lovely  and  of  good  report. 
They  would  save  them  from  the  foul  forces  of 
heathendom  that  would  issue  in  their  eternal  moral 
wreckage  and  transform  them  into  characters  that 
will  burn  and  shine  like  veritable  light-houses, 
sending  their  rays  of  gospel  light  far  out  on  the 
reefs  of  heathen  error  and  sin.  And  best  of  all, 
they  would  lead  the  children  to  the  feet  of  Jesus, 
enable  them  to  see  Him  the  chiefest  of  ten  thou- 
sand, the  One  altogether  lovely,  and  give  their 
lives  to  Him  with  utter  abandon,  to  become  effici- 
ent soul  winners  to  turn  many  to  Him  who  alone 
can  bear  away  the  sin  of  the  world.  In  a  word, 
they  labor  and  pray  to  win  their  pupils  for  Christ, 
and  through  them  reach  the  heathen  homes,  con- 
verting these  into  centers  of  great  spiritual  bless- 

150 


MISSIONARY    TEACHERS. 

Miss  Lavinia  Neel.  Miss  Janie  Love. 

Miss  Jennie  Gettys.     Miss  Macie  Stevenson. 

Miss  Anna  Strong.  Mrs.  Kosema  Hunter. 


OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

ing.  To  attain  these  high  ends,  the  mission 
schools  have  pecuHar  fitness.  They  become  most 
powerful  agencies. 

The  mission  school  touches  the  child  life  at  a 
period  when  the  strongest  impression  can  be  made 
for  the  gosj>el.     Before  the  strange  superstitions 
of  the  unlettered  have  found  lodgment  in  their 
minds;  before  'they  have  breathed  for  long  years 
the  polluting  atmosphere  of  shameless  impurity; 
before  the  heart  is  hardened  by  idolatry  and  its 
long  trains  of  evils,  the  missionary  teacher  has  an 
opportunity  to  mould  the  tender,  responsive  heart 
for  Christ.     Statistics  assert  that  the  greatest  num- 
ber of  conversions  are  registered  between  the  ages 
of  fifteen  and  sixteen.    If  such  be  true  in  Christian 
lands  where  the  ennobling  influence  of  the  holy 
tenets  of  our  faith   throw  about  the  homes  the 
safegTiards  of  protection,  with  more  reason  may 
w^e  expect  the  statement  to  hold  good  in  heathen 
lands.     And  through  the  schools  brought  under 
the  power  of  the  gospel  while  young,  they  become 
like  the  plant  that  grows  straight  and  erect  from 
the  very  ground,  while  our  converts,  saved  after 
decades  and  scores  of  years   of  superstition  and 
idolatry,  find  their  likeness  in  the  twig  that  grew 
bent  toward  the  earth,  and  long  afterward  had  its 
topmost   bough  turned   upward.      It    always    re- 
mained crooked.     How  often,  after  years  of  spir- 
itual training,  we  find  aged  converts  still  morally 
crooked  by  some  inherited  heathen  sin.     Not  so 

151 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

with  the  child  that  has  passed  through  the  bibhcal 
curriculum  of  the  mission  school.  At  the  tender 
age  the  sprout  is  made  to  grow  heavenward  and 
God  ward. 

Two  travelers  once  •  stood  at  a  heathen  tem- 
ple door.  A  mother  drew  near  with  her  ill-shaped 
child,  and  falling  at  the  foot  of  the  steps  that  led 
up  to  the  heathen  god,  she  prayed,  "O  grant  that 
my  child  may  grow  fair.  Grant  that  my  child  may 
grow  lovely.  Grant  that  it  may  grow  strong.  O 
hear  the  cry  of  a  mother  and  a  mother's  breaking 
heart."  As  she  turned  to  go,  one  of  the  strangers 
asked,  "Friend,  to  whom  did  you  pray?"  "I  do 
not  know,"  she  said,  "but  there  must  be  somebody 
to  hear  the  cry  of  a  mother  and  keep  a  mother's 
heart  from  breaking."  That  one  is  the  conse- 
crated missionary  teacher.  She  will  make  the 
child  to  grow  fair,  lovely  and  strong. 

The  missionary  school  has  the  decided  advan- 
tage of  a  sustained  influence  of  the  teacher  on  the 
child.  The  missionary  pastor  has  his  flock  gath- 
ered about  him  for  an  hour  or  two  and  three  times 
each  week.  The  mission  teacher  holds  her  school 
under  her  personal  influence  for  five  days  of  the 
week  for  nine  months  of  the  year.  With  her  desk 
as  pulpit  she  has  the  two  or  three  score  children 
for  an  audience  all  day  long.  And  very  particu- 
larly is  this  true  of  the  boarding  school.  The  es- 
tablishment is  made  a  home  with  its  daily  drill 

152 


OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

in  the  holy  principles  of  Christ,  and  under  the  con- 
stant inspiration  of  a  heavenly  atmosphere. 

The  missionary  school  is  £»  forerunner  of  the 
g-ospel.  It  prepares  the  way  for  the  Word  of  God 
to  enter  the  homes,  whose  doors  are  barred  to  the 
approach  of  the  gospel  herald.  Roman  Catholic 
families,  taught  to  believe  that  Protestant  mission- 
aries are  proselyting  emissaries  rof  the  infernal 
realms  of  darkness,  feel  that  for  a  missionary  to 
pass  the  threshold  of  the  home  would  be  hardly 
less  sacrilegious  than  that  a  Jew  should  allow  a 
Gentile  to  enter  the  holy  of  holies.  And  yet,  till 
the  homes  are  won,  little  or  no  permanent  impres- 
sion can  be  made  on  the  nation.  Christianity  must 
touch  these  fountain  heads  ere  the  streams  of  in- 
fluence flow  out  and  on  through  the  far-reaching 
circles  of  society,  if  the  whole  social  fabric  is  to  be 
regenerated.  How  shall  we  bring  the  gospel  to 
storm  and  take  this  citadel,  this  center  of  the 
throbbing  soul-life  of  the  people.  EHsha,  before 
he  could  raise  to  life  the  breathless  form  of  the  lad 
of  Shunem,  must  place  his  warm  body  upon  the 
cold,  lifeless  form,  eye  upon  eye,  mouth  upon 
mouth,  and  Hmb  upon  limb,  till,  by  the  dynamic 
energy  of  prayer  he  brought  him  to  life  again.  It 
is  the  lesson  of  vital  personal  contact.  Precisely 
this  is  the  province  of  the  school.  It  ofifers  the 
point  of  contact.  The  child  carries  into  the  fan- 
atical home  the  gospel  truths  learned  at  the  teach- 
er's desk.     They  become  the  common  talk  in  the 

153 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

family  circle.  And  better  still.  The  teacher, 
through  the  affection  of  the  pupil,  gains  the  good 
will  of  the  parent  and  it  comes  to  pass  that  in  nine- 
tenths  of  the  homes  represented  in  the  school,  the 
teacher  is  made  welcome,  and  in  well  nigh  every 
instance  is  allowed  to  read  the  Bible  and  offer 
prayer.  The  teacher  labors  to  have  pupils  attend 
the  meetings  of  the  Christian  Endeavor  Society, 
or  the  Sabbath  School,  and  be  it  said  to  the  praise 
of  our  teachers,  fully  three-fourths  of  the  children 
do  attend.  This  becomes  a  first  and  almost  sure 
step  toward  getting  them  to  attend  a  preaching 
service.  It  inevitably  results  that  some  of  the  fam- 
ily go.  Thus  the  missionary  teacher  bridges  the 
yawning  chasm  between  the  homes  and  the 
church,  and  becomes  a  connecting  link  by  which 
to  draw  families  to  the  house  of  God. 

The  missionary  school  has  added  vantage 
ground  because  of  the  urgent  need  of  educational 
institutions  in  the  country.  The  government  is 
doing  nobly  for  the  cause  of  education,  spending 
$6,805,074  annually  in  maintaining  9710  schools. 
When  viewed  in  the  light  of  the  stupendous  task 
that  confronted  the  government,  this  showing  is 
commendable.  Because  of  centuries  of  warfare, 
battling  for  its  national  life  and  quelling  the  con- 
stant revolutions,  the  national  energies  have  been 
spent  in  arms  and  in  repleting  the  losses  of  war, 
rather  than  on  schools  and  their  equipment.  On 
the  other  hand,  viewed  in  the  light  of  what  re- 

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OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

mains  to  be  done,  the  need  is  most  urgent.  The 
census  of  1900  reported  that  there  were  in  the 
Republic  4,129,142  children  under  twelve  years  of 
age,  who  could  neither  read  nor  write.  The  latest 
authority  asserts  that  "more  than  8,000,000  who 
have  reached  their  majority  who  can  neither  read 
nor  write."  For  the  stupendous  task  of  enlight- 
ening these,  the  schools  that  have  been  established 
are  not  sufficient.  And  the  difficulties  are  multi- 
plied fourfold,  because  of  the  fact  that  there  are  so 
many  different  dialects  among  the  Indian  popula- 
tion. This  loud  need-cry,  the  growing  thirst  for 
light,  the  recognized  superiority  of  the  >  evangeHcal 
schools,  and  the  awakening  desire  to  study  English 
which  is  taught  in  all  our  schools,  these  considera- 
tions give  the  missionary  schools  a  lever  of  power 
of  which  the  Church  may  well  be  proud.  What 
are  our  schools  doing  to  enter  these  wide-open 
doors? 

I.  The  Tampico  School.  Teachers,  Misses 
Macie  Stevenson  and  Jennie  Gettys. 
Jan.  16,  1893,  the  school  was  opened  in  a' rented 
building,  which  was  afterwards  bought  by  the 
Board  and  since  used  for  the  school  exercises. 
Misses  Stevenson  and  Boyce  were  the  pioneers. 
The  first  morning  they  had  only  three  pupils,  but 
three  more  came  in  before  the  day  was  over.  The 
enrollment  has  grown  to  ninety-five.  After  five 
years  of  splendid  service,  broken  health  compelled 
Miss  Boyce   to  retire    from  the  work.     She  was 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

succeeded  by  Miss  Fannie  Wallace  who  after  two 
years  of  service  most  unsparingly  given  her  Lord, 
was  called  to  her  eternal  reward.  Miss  'Anna 
Strong  took  up  her  work  but  her  health  failed  and 
she  was  compelled  to  return  to  the  States  after 
three  'years.  Miss  Jennie  Gettys  has  taken  her 
place.  The  school  under  Miss  Stevenson's  guid- 
ing hand  and  the  help  of  her  associates,  has 
been  a  noble  handmaid  to  the  congregational 
efforts  of  the  town.  Beside  the  daily  Bible  study 
in  the  class  room,  the  teachers  visit  the  homes  of 
the  children  and  read  the  Word  of  God  to  the 
parents.  Seventeen  of  the  pupils  have  accepted 
Christ,  and  nearly  all  have  given  full  proof  of  a 
change  of  heart  and  a  hope  of  heaven.  Several 
mothers  have  been  brought  to  Christ  through  the 
influence  of  the  school.  Last  year  forty-two  of  the 
pupils  were  enrolled  in  the  Sabbath  School  and 
twenty-two  in  the  Junior  Endeavor  Society.  In 
1906  Dr.  Pressly  raised,  within  the  bounds  of  the 
Synod,  funds  for  the  erection  of  a  new  and  com- 
modious building,  which  will  widen  and  deepen 
the  sphere  of  the  educational  efforts  of  the  insti- 
tution. 

2.     The  Ciudad  del  Maiz  'School.  Teachers, 

Mrs.  Rosema  Hunter  and  Miss  Anna 

Strong. 

For  a  year  or  two  Mrs.  Emma  Hunter  had  gath- 
ered in  her  home  several  little  girls,  and  had  given 

156 


OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

them  such  instruction  as  she  was  able  aside  from 
her  other  duties.  The  school  was  formally  opened 
on  the  arrival  of  Miss  Lavinia  Neel  in  1903.  For 
ten 'years  it  was  under  her  care  till  she  was  placed 
in  charge  of  the  Hattie  May  Chester  Institute. 
Miss  Janie  Love  took  charge  of  the  school  the  year 
following,  remaining  there  for  five  years  till  trans- 
ferred'to  the  Rioverde  School.  She  was  succeeded 
by  Mrs.  Rosema  Hunter.  Beginning  with  three 
pupils,  the  school  has  grown  till  last  year  it  had  an 
enrollment  of  seventy-five.  Miss  Anna  Strong 
having  regained  her  'health  was  returned  to  the 
Mission  in  1909  and  appointed  to  this  School.  Fully 
one-half  of  all  the  children  are  members  of  the 
Christian  Endeavor  Society  or  the  Junior  En- 
deavor Society.  Besides  the  daily  teaching  of  the 
Bible  in  the  school,  the  teachers  hold  a  prayer 
meeting  in  the  school  room  on  Friday  afternoons, 
which  is  attended  by  nine-tenths  of  the  children 
enrolled.  They  also  make  stated  visits  into  the 
homes  of  the  parents,  where  the  Bible  is  read. 
Personally  the  teachers  go  to  the  homes  of  the 
children,  inviting  and  bringing  them  to  the  ser- 
vices of  the  sanctuary.  Through  this  agency  small 
schools  have  been  established  in  La  Colonia  with 
nine  pupils,  and  in  San  Antonio  with  forty-five.  A 
substantial  structure  was  bought  in  1897  just 
across  the  street  from  the  church  costing  $1000, 
which  has  been  dedicated  to  the  work  of  the 
school. 

157 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

3.  The  Rioverde  School.  Teachers,  Misses 
Lavinia'Neel  and  Janie  Love. 

It  was  formally  opened  February  23,  1897,  with 
eight  pupils.  After  six  years,  under  the  direction 
of  different  native  teachers,  the  work  was  placed 
under  the  care  of  Miss  Lavinia  Neel.  Daily  Bible 
study  and  daily  prayer  in  the  school  room,  visits 
in  the  homes  of  the  pupils,  and  personal  dealing 
with  the  children  are  the  means  used  to  bring  the 
children  under  the  influence  of  Christ.  The  enroll- 
ment last  year  was  79.  Of  these,  ten  were  received 
into  the  church,  making  twenty-three  conversions 
from  the  school  during  the  present  management. 
Fifty  of  the  pupils  are  members  of  the  Sabbath 
School,  eleven  belong  to  the  Christian  Endeavor 
Society  and  thirty-two  are  members  of  the  Junior 
Society  of  Christian  Endeavor. 

In  1905  the  boarding  department  was  intro- 
duced, the  boarders  occupying  a  rented  house. 
Two  years  later  it  was  combined  with  the  Orph- 
anage, then  under  the  direction  of  Mrs.  Amelia 
Edwards,  and  the  institution  was  thereafter  known 
as  the  Hattic  May  Chester  Institute  with  Miss 
Neel  as  principal.  In  1909  Miss  Janie  Love  was 
transferred  from  Ciudad  del  Maiz  to  this  school. 
Last  year  thirty-three  boarders  attended.  They 
come  from  many 'different  fields  of  the  Mission.  A 
splendid  opportunity  is  thus  presented  to  make  the 
girls  and  young  ladies  disciples  of  Christ.  Aside 
from  the  regular  Bible  study  of  the  daily  -classes, 

158 


OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

si>ecial  prayer  meetings  are  held  for  the  girls  and 
the  teachers  aim  to  surround  the  school  with  the 
holy  influences  of  a  truly  Christian  home.  Keeping 
the  students  under  the  inspiration  of  the  daily  prac- 
tice of  these  great  principles  of  our  faith  for  nine 
months  of  the  year  and  day  by  day,  as  well  as  by 
personal  effort,  the  teachers  strive  to  make  the 
most  of  their  opportunities  for  Christ. 

A  TROPHY  OF  THE  SCHOOL  WORK. 

Senorita  Elena  Manrique  entered  the  Ciudad 
del  Maiz  school  ten  years  ago  a  giddy  girl  from  a 
most  fanatical  home.  She  promised  little  for  the 
kingdom  of  the  Lord.  The  gross  idolatry  of  her 
people  and  the  surging  high  tide  of  worldHness, 
with  its  balls,  etc.,  were  but  tares  tending  to  choke 
any  good  seed  sown  in  the  school  room.  But  the 
daily  drill  in  all  that  pertains  unto  life  and  godli- 
ness and  the  constant  touch  with  the  teacher  be- 
gan to  triumph  over  the  evil  influences  and  mould 
her  without  her  recognition  of  the  change.  She 
came  to  the  Hattie  May  Chester  Institute  as  a 
boarder.  There  the  world  was  shut  out  and  the 
leaven  of  the  gospel  began  to  work.  Soon  she 
asked  to  be  baptized,  knowing  full  well  what 
awaited  her  in  her  fanatical  home.  She  said  that 
she  loved  Jesus  best  and  was  willing  to  be  counted 
as  the  offscouring  of  the  world  for  His  sake.  And 
nothing  less  than  that  was  the  price  she  paid.  She 
developed  into  a  character  of  unusual  fixedness  of 

159 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

purpose  and  unflinching  solidity.  Her  testimony 
among  the  girls  was  always  for  the  things  best  and 
noblest.  Having  finished  her  course,  she  returned 
to  her  home  to  be  tested  in  the  furnace  of  persecu- 
tion heaten  seven  times  hotter  than  it  was'wont. 
Her  family  and  friends  gave  balls,  etc.,  in  her  honor 
to  make  her  attend  and  so  efifect  her 'fall  from  the 
lofty  plane  of  weanedness  from  the  world  upon 
which  she  had  pitched  her  life.  The  whole  current 
of  her  former  circle — for  she  had  been  a  belle  of 
her  class — set  in  to  win  her  back  to  Catholicism 
and  the  world,  which  are  one.  Failing  in  their 
fiendish  attempt,  they  threatened  to  tear  her  from 
her  surroundings  and  force  her  into  a  convent.  So 
intensely  fierce  did  the  fires  rage  that  one  evening 
she  found  a  revolver  aimed  at  her  with  the  de- 
mand that  she  recant  and  renounce  her  Lord 
Christ  for  the  old  life  of  saint  worship  and  balls. 
With  that  spiritual  iron  in  her  blood  that  reminds 
us  of  the  old  prophets  and  the  believers  of  the 
first  century  who  were  sawn  asunder  rather  than 
deny  their  faith  and  went  to  the  flames 'singing, 
she  stood  through  it  all  unflinchingly  true  to  her 
Lord.  When,  one  year  ago,  we  asked  her  if  she 
would  go  to  San  Ciro,  one  of  the  most  fanatical 
towns  in  all  this  section  and  open  a  school  there, 
and  thus  prepare  for  the  establishment  of  a  preach- 
ing station  later,  her  instant  reply  was,  "I  am  ready 
to  go  to  any  place  where  the  Master  may  call  me." 

i6o 


OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

And  she  is  one  of  the  many  for  the  making  and 
the  moulding  of  whom  the  efforts  of  the  schools 
are  indeed  worth  while. 

4.     The  Preparatory  and  Theological 
School.    Principal,  Rev.  J.  G.  Dale. 

For  twenty-two"  years  the  mission  moved  along 
without  a  college  for  the  higher  education  of  our 
young  men,  and  without  a  training  school  where 
those  young  men  whom  God  should  call  to  the 
work  of  the  ministry  might  receive  a  preparatory 
course  of  study.  The  missionaries  had  picked  up 
here  and  there  such  men  as  they  felt  would  help  in 
the  evangelization  of  the  field,  and  after  a  short 
period  of  study  in  the  elementary  branches  of  the 
common  school  and  the  rudimentary  principles  of 
theology,  they  were  placed  in  charge  of  stations. 
Prior  to  the  establishment  of  the  school  in  1901, 
and  after  twenty-two  years  of  missionary  labor  in 
Mexico,  we  had  in  the  service  only  six  native  men. 
Of  these,  one  had  come  from  the  Presbyterian 
church,  one  from  the  Methodist  church,  and  one 
had  been  educated  in  the  States.  Rev.  N.  E. 
Pressly  had  found  Sr.  Francisco  Meza,  and  after 
two  years  of  study  had  sent  him  to  Tantima.  He 
had  given  Sr.  Hernandez  a  short  correspondence 
course  of  study  and  left  him  in  charge  of  Chicon- 
cillo.  Sr.  Zaleta  had  studied  under  Rev.  Pressly 
and  had  gone  to  Panuco,  but  after  three  years  of 
service  had  been  called  to  rest.    Rev.  J.  S.  A.  Hun- 

161 

M-11 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

ter  had  taken  Sr.  Guadalupe  Cruz,  then  fifty  years 
old,  had  taught  him  the  fundamental  things  -of 
the  gospel  and  had  placed  him  in  charge  of  La 
Colonia.  This  is  the  record  of  our  missionary  ef- 
forts in  the  direction  of  the  preparation  of  a  native 
ministry  for  the  quarter  of  a  century,  lacking  three 
years.  And  nothing  had  been  done  for  the  higher 
education  of  our  young  men. 

Thus  arose  the  crying  need  of  an  institution  for 
the  equipment  of  a  qualified  native  ministry,  not 
to  si>eak  of  the  duty  of  the  mission  towards  the 
hundreds  of  boys  and  young  men  scattered  over 
the  field,  for  no  less  than  at  home  do  we  need  an 
intelligent  and  consecrated  laity.  These  were  the 
considerations  that  led  the  Synod  which  met  at 
Louisville,  Ga.,  in  1900,  to  pass  the  resolution  of- 
fered by  the  Committee  on  Foreign  Missions,  or- 
dering the  Board  to  take  steps  toward  the  estab- 
lishment of  an  institution  on  the  mission  field  that 
would  meet  these  two  recognized  needs. 

The  Board  appointed  Rev.  J.  G.  Dale,  principal 
of  the  school.  It  was  located  in  Rioverde,  and 
opened  January,  1901,  with  two  students.  From 
its  very  inception  the  undertaking  has  had  to  bat- 
tle with  gigantic  obstacles.  Prior  to  its  opening 
there  were  operated  on  the  field  three  evangelical 
schools;  one  was  barely  beginning,  the  second  re- 
ceived boys  under  twelve  years  of  age  and  the 
third  admitted  no  boys  at  all.  The  Preparatory 
gchopl  was  forced  to  gather  up  boys  without  edu- 

162 


OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

cation  and  less  moral  training,  and  launch  its  bark 
bound  for  the  port  of  an  intelligent  laity  and  a 
qualified  ministry.  Under  these  circumstances 
there  was  no  immediate  hope  for  students  for  the 
higher  branches  and  none  for  a  native  ministry 
for  several  years.  It  would  be  necessary  to  lay  the 
foundations  of  an  elementary  education,  and  on 
this  basis  rear  the  structure  of  a  solid,  even  though 
short,  literary  training,  and  a  further  theological 
preparation  for  the  high  calUng  of  the  gospel  min- 
istry. Thus  it  has  come  to  pass  that  the  students 
matriculated  in  the  school  are  of  ages  that  range 
from  twelve  to  thirty  years.  And  all  these  had  to 
begin  with  the  most  elementary  branches  of  study. 
Another  serious  difficulty  arises  from  the  failure 
of  the  parents  to  appreciate  the  worth  of  a  Chris- 
tian education.  They  prefer  to  place  their  sons 
where  they  can  earn  something  to  help  the  family 
along  in  its  strivings  for  a  livelihood.  And  where 
they  enter  the  school  and  learn  to  read,  write  and 
multiply  numbers,  the  temptation  is  all  the  strong- 
er, for  then  the  youth  can  command  a  better  sal- 
ary and  be  of  more  service  to  his  family.  Many 
young  men  have  gone  out  from  the  school  before 
they  have  entered  upon  the  higher  and  more  fun- 
damental stage  of  the  curriculum.  Thus  the  school 
has  at  times  been  robbed  of  good  material  out  of 
which  might  have  developed  competent  teachers, 
capable  laymen  or  worthy  preachers  of  the  gospel. 

163 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

Perhaps  the  most  insurmountable  obstacle  that 
besets  the  progress  of  the  work  is  the  class  of  ma- 
terial with  which  we  have  to  do.  Most  of  the  stu- 
dents come  from  the  common  people — which 
often  means  from  the  lower  strata  of  society,  for 
the  mission  is  too  small  yet  to  furnish  boys  trained 
in  the  homes  where  reign  the  principles  of  the  gos- 
pel. Too  often  we  have  no  character  foundation  on 
which  to  build,  and  one  can  hardly  be  expected  to 
make  bricks  without  straw.  Our  most  capable 
native  minister,  who  has  preached  the  gospel  for 
thirty-five  years,  said  to  the  principal  that  the  in- 
stitution might  be  counted  successful  if  one-third 
of  the  students  who  enrolled  from  year  to  year 
developed  into  men,  morally  strong,  intelligent 
and  useful.  His  estimate  w^as  doubtless  over- 
drawn, but  he  is  a  man  of  the  people,  and 
thoroughly  consecrated  to  the  interests  of  Zion. 

Last  year  fifty  students  w^ere  enrolled  in  the 
school,  coming  from  five  different  states  of  the 
Republic.  Nine-tenths  of  these  were  boarders. 
$1333.28  was  spent  on  the  running  expenses  of 
the  work,  of  which  $856.00  was  appropriated  by 
the  Board,  $150  contributed  by  friends  toward  the 
salary  of  the  assistant  teacher,  and  the  balance 
collected  from  the  students.  The  purpose  is  to 
have  all  students  pay  for  their  board  and  tuition 
when  they  are  able.  The  expense  is  placed  at  its 
minimum  amount,  $3.00  a  month  for  board,  and 
one  dollar  for  tuition.     Some  pay  one-half  of  the 

164 


OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

expenses,  while  many  are  too  poor  to  do  more 
than  buy  their  clothes.  For  five  years  the  work 
was  carried  on  in  rented  buildings.  The  Synod 
which  met  at  Mt.  Zion,  Mo.,  in  1904,  directed  the 
principal  to  canvass  the  churches  to  raise  $5000 
for  a  building.  On  the  leading  thoroughfare  of 
the  town,  half-way  between  the  public  square  and 
the  railroad  station,  stands  the  splendid  structure 
capable  of  accommodating  seventy-five  boarders, 
with  class  rooms  and  auditorium  and  built  on  a  lot 
donated  by  Rev.  J.  P.  Erwin,  of  Rosemark,  Tenn. 
To  combat  the  potent  forces  for  evil  that 
threaten  young  manhood  and  to  throw  about 
them  the  formative  influences  that  will  make  for 
their  sure  development  into  telling  factors  for 
righteousness,  the  school  labors  and  prays.  The 
Bible  is  the  leading  textbook  and  it  is  aimed  to 
bring  its  teachings  to  bear  on  the  practical  every- 
day life  of  the  student  body.  The  assistant  pro- 
fessor lives  in  the  dormitory  with  the  students  and 
strives  to  introduce  into  the  establishment  the  at- 
mosphere of  a  genuine  Christian  home.  Morning 
and  evening  they  gather  about  the  altar  of  prayer, 
and  at  the  opening  of  the  classes  all  engage  in  de- 
votional exercises.  Every  student  is  compelled  to 
attend  all  the  religious  exercises  of  the  chapel. 
Besides  their  weekly  prayer  meetings  and  the 
gatherings  on  Sabbath  afternoon  to  study  the 
Bible,  each  year  special  evangelistic  services  are 
held  for  the  student  body.     At  the  close  of  these 

165 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

services  last  year  only  one  of  the  entire  student 
body  was  left  out  of  the  church  of  those  who  were 
old  enough  to  take  the  responsible  step.  At  this 
writing  there  are  at  least  ten  whose  ages  range  in 
the  neighborhood  of  twenty  years  who  contem- 
plate the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry.  It  is  safe 
to  forecast  that  the  majority  of  these  will  prove 
worthy  factors  in  the  evangelization  of  their  race. 
Two  of  these  young  men  were  employed  in  the 
work  of  the  mission  during  their  last  vacation, 
holding  services,  one  in  Guerrero  and  the  other  in 
Cardenas. 

This  year  the  first  graduate  goes  out  to  preach 
the  gospel.  He  was  licensed  by  the  Tampico 
Presbytery  at  its  meeting  last  year.  His  record 
will  inspire  perhaps  a  firmer  faith  in  the  school. 
His  history  runs  thus.  One  morning  a  man  knock- 
ed at  the  door  of  the  school.  He  was  a  peddler 
traveling  over  the  state  with  his  pack  of  goods. 
He  had  with  him  a  lad  of  fourteen  whom  he  had 
brought  from  a  little  town  that  lay  beyond 
the  mountains  fully  two  hundred  miles  away. 
He  asked  that  the  boy  be  received  as  a  charity 
student.  He  did  not  have  even  a  change 
of  clothes.  The  peddler  had  found  the  lad  in 
Antiguo  Morelos  and  had  begged  the  mother 
to  allow  him  to  bring  him  to  the  school. 
He  brought  no  recommendation,  but  there  was 
nothing  to  do  but  take  him  in.  To  the  boy  all 
was  new.     He  had  come  from  a  mountain  town 

i66 


OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

where  the  horizon  is  no  higher  than  the  low  Hfe 
of  a  mountain  ranch  and  the  feast  days  of  the  faith- 
ful Romanists.  It  was  his  first  opportunity,  and 
he  began  to  awake  to  the  glories  and  possibilities 
of  life.  He  studied  his  books  as  men  seek  treas- 
ures. The  Bible  was  all  new  to  him.  Its  hidden 
treasures  fascinated  his  soul.  One  year  after  he 
came,  he  gave  his  heart  to  his  Lord  and  he  began 
to  catch  the  visions  of  the  land  of  far  distances. 
With  eager  spirit  he  grasped  the  opportunities  of 
the  school  and  grew  both  in  intellectuality  and 
in  the  graces  that  adorn  the  doctrines  of  our 
Savior.  His  life  has  been  a  practical  sermon  of 
righteousness  preached  each  day  before  the  stu- 
dents of  the  school.  From  time  to  time  others 
have  been  sent  away  for  the  sins  of  lying,  stealing 
and  uncleanness,  for  they  come  from  homes  where 
the  moral  tide  touches  the  lowest  ebb,  but  he  with 
his  face  set  like  a  flint  has  fought  the  low,  base 
ideals  that  lure  young  manhood  and  has  developed 
into  a  new  man.  Soon  he  began  to  look  out  upon 
the  white  harvest  fields,  and  slowly  but  firmly  was 
forged  the  sublime  purpose  to  carry  the  gospel  to 
his  j>eople.  He  heard  the  call,  and  without  shrink- 
ing he  stepped  forth  with  the  readiness  of  the 
seraphic  Isaiah,  "Here  am  I.  Send  me."  It  was 
a  work  of  God,  who  had  used  the  humble  school 
to  take  the  unlettered  lad  of  the  mountain,  blind 
to  the  spiritual  heights  to  which  the  soul  may 
reach,  and  moulded  him  into  a  vessel  meet  for  the 

167 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

Master's  use.  For  the  simple  making  of  Enoc 
Butron,  the  labors  of  the  school  have  not  been  in 
vain.  We  thank  God  and  take  courage  that  others 
are  following  hard  in  his  footsteps. 

The  Medical  Work. 

Physician  in  Charge,  Mrs.  Katherine  Neel  Dale,  M.D. 

"And  Jesus  went  about  all  the  cities  and  vil- 
lages, teaching  in  their  synagogues  and  preaching 
the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  and  healing  every  sick- 
ness and  every  disease  among  the  people."  No 
less  than  twenty-three  or  two-thirds  of  His  mir- 
acles were  of  healing.  He  made  His  preaching  and 
healing  go  hand  in  hand.  It  was  His  own  method, 
and  it  requires  only  the  sanest  exegesis  of  His 
words  and  hfe  to  see  that  the  consecration  of  the 
healing  art  was  a  part  of  His  master  plan  for  all 
the  ages,  till  all  the  world  kingdoms  crown  Him 
Lord  of  all.  He  would  have  the  physicians,  with 
their  medicine  chest,  go  by  the  side  of  the  heralds 
of  the  cross  into  the  regions  beyond. 

The  missionary  of  His  kingdom  must  be  the 
truest  successor  of  the  good  Samaritan,  take 
the  bleeding  unfortunate  left  by  the  way  and  pour 
into  his  wounds  the  oil  of  healing  and  joy.  Our 
Christianity  is  the  highest  type  of  philanthropy, 
and  nowhere  so  well  as  on  the  mission  field  are 
offered  such  golden  opportunities  for  the  ministry 
of  healing.     Even  in  Mexico  there  is  a  wide-open 

i68 


OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

door.  To  the  southeast  of  us  we  can  ride  on  horse- 
back three  hundred  miles  and  not  find  a  single 
physician.  The  sick  are  left  to  the  mercy  of  the 
old  men  and  women  doctors  with  their  herbs.  A 
prescription  for  the  cure  of  fever,  for  example,  is 
to  place  the  patient  out  on  a  planlf  in  the  hot  sun 
for  hours,  when  the  thermometer  will  register  one 
hundred  and  two  degrees. 

But  medical  missions  finds  its  highest  utility  as 
a  pioneer  agency,  a  most  effectual  forerunner  that 
opens  the  way  for  the  preacher  of  the  gospel. 
Gross  ignorance,  blind  and  deaf  superstition,  de- 
moniacal fanaticism,  social  caste  and  national  pre- 
judice erect  their  barriers  and  say  to  the  gospel 
herald,  "thus  far  shalt  thou  come  and  no  farther," 
while  to  the  medical  missionary  these  walls  of  di- 
vision vanish  and  the  missionary  physician  can  en- 
ter the  homes  and  transform  the  fanaticism  to 
friendships.  Dr.  Parker,  for  many  years  medical 
missionary  to  China,  said,  "I  have  no  hesitation  in 
expressing  it  as  my  solemn  conviction  that  as  yet 
no  medium  of  contact  and  of  bringing  the  people 
under  the  sound  of  the  gospel  and  within  the  in- 
fluence of  the  means  of  grace,  can  compare  with 
the  facilities  afforded  by  the  medical  missionary 
operations."  Dr.  A.  Grant,  with  needle  and  lan- 
cet for  the  removal  of  the  cataract  from  the  eye, 
forced  mountain  passes  through  the  wild  Nestor- 
ian  country,  winning  the  hearts  of  the  most  fer- 
ocious tribes,  and  crossing  districts  hitherto  un- 

169 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

trodden  by  the  foot  of  civilized  man.  In  spite  of 
the  repeated  threats  of  the  priests  that  they  would 
condemn  to  the  fires  of  purgatory  all  who  should 
admit  our  medical  missionary  into  their  homes, 
her  professional  services  have  been  sought,  and 
fast  friendships  have  been  formed  in  famiUes  that 
were  most  doggedly  fanatical.  The  medical  work 
has  been  operated  along  two  lines,  by  the  hospital 
and  by  clinics. 

(i)  The  Dale  Memorial  Hospital.  The  building 
was  donated  by  the  Dale  family,  of  Oak  Hill,  Ala- 
bama, in  memory  of  William  and  Mary  Dale,  and 
was  erected  in  1906,  costing  $1500  U.  S.  currency. 
It  is  a  structure  of  two  stories,  with  six  rooms  for 
patients,  a  large  waiting  room,  a  private  office  for 
the  physician  and  the  drug  store.  During  the 
past  year  103  patients  were  received  into  the  hos- 
pital. The  entire  expense  was  $928.62.  Of  this 
amount  $128.62  was  contributed  by  the  patients, 
and  the  balance  was  appropriated  by  the  Board  of 
Foreign  Missions. 

Most  of  the  patients  attend  the  services  of  the 
Rioverde  church.  These  exercises,  with  the  daily 
prayer  meetings  held  in  the  building,  and  with  the 
personal  efforts  of  those  in  charge,  are  the  means 
used  to  lead  the  patients  to  a  personal  faith  in 
Christ.  Repeated  instances  might  be  given  of 
souls  influenced  and  won  for  Christ. 

(2)  The  Clinics.  This  is  the  principal  method  of 
prosecuting  the  medical  work.     Six  days  of  the 

170 


OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

week  the  office  of  the  medical  missionary  is 
open  to  the  public  and  on  Sabbath  urgent 
cases  are  received.  During  the  forenoons  no 
charity  work  is  done.  Regular  charges  are 
made,  such  as  any  physician  would  make.  This 
is  done  for  the  reason  that  there  are  always  some 
who  are  wiHing  to  pay  for  the  actual  worth  of  the 
medicines  and  professional  services,  and  at  the 
same  time  the  amount  thus  collected  enables  the 
physician  to  meet  the  expenses  of  the  work  with- 
out any  appropriation  from  the  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions.  In  the  afternoons  the  doors  are  opened 
to  the  poor  who  are  charged  only  twenty-five  cents 
for  consultation  and  medicines.  The  very  poor 
are  charged  nothing. 

During  the  past  year  io,iio  patients  were  treat- 
ed by  the  physician,  with  the  aid  of  her  trained 
nurse.  More  than  ten  thousand  tracts  were  dis- 
tributed to  the  patients,  and  about  one  hundred 
Bibles  sold.  The  receipts  from  consultations  and 
sale  of  medicines  amounted  to  $3309.14,  and  the 
current  expenses  $2961.50  (Mexican  currency), 
leaving  a  balance  of  $347.64.  Thus  it  will  be  seen 
that  though  the  poor  and  all  who  come  in  the  after- 
noons are  charged  only  twenty-five  cents,  and 
though  the  best  medicines  available  are  used  in 
the  practice,  the  work  meets  all  its  expenses.  The 
missionary  draws  no  salary.  Hence  the  medical 
work  does  not  call  for  one  dollar  of  help  from  the 
Board. 

171 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

The  efforts  of  a  single  afternoon  will  serve  to 
show  how  the  opportunities  may  be  turned  to  the 
account  of  the  gospel.  Early  in  the  afternoon  the 
poor  and  all  those  who  wish  to  get  the  benefit  of 
the  reduction,  gather  in  the  large  waiting  room 
of  the  hospital.  The  room  is  generally  full.  Be- 
fore the  physician  begins  prescribing,  the  mission- 
ary goes  with  the  Bible  and  holds  a  short  service, 
always  aiming  to  explain  clearly  the  way  of  sal- 
vation through  Christ.  It  is  an  opportunity  to  be 
coveted.  One  there  sows  on  virgin  soil.  Because" 
of  fanaticism  or  fear  of  the  anathemas  of  the 
priests,  ninety-nine  hundredths  of  the  hearers  have 
never  entered  a  gospel  service.  To  them  it  is  a 
new  story,  that  of  the  Son  of  God  dying  on  the 
cross  for  our  sins,  and  pardon  full  and  free  through 
His  atoning  sacrifice.  The  patients  come  from 
towns  far  and  near.  Almost  any  day  we  can  count 
patients  present  from  towns  and  ranches  fifty 
miles  distant.  It  is  not  uncommon  for  them  to 
come  seventy-five  miles.  Beyond  doubt  no  other 
agency  equals  this  in  drawing  the  people  and 
bringing  them  in  contact  with  the  gospel.  Far- 
reaching  fields  are  brought  within  reach  of  the 
gospel  sower,  permitting  him  to  sow  beside  all 
waters. 

Occasionally  it  will  happen  that  some  of  those 
present  do  not  wish  to  hear  the  Bible  read  and 
explained  and  will  cover  their  heads  with  their 
shawl.     One  afternoon  a  woman  was  seized  with  a 

172 


OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

violent  toothache  the  moment  the  missionary  en- 
tered and  announced  that  he  would  read  from  the 
Word  of  God.  She  had  not  felt  the  toothache  be- 
fore. The  missionary  having  occasion  to  leave 
the  room  for  a  moment,  the  pain  ceased  and  she 
was  quiet.  The  moment  the  worker  returned  the 
pain  also  returned  and  with  renewed  force.  She 
moaned  so  piteously  that  the  voice  of  the  preacher 
could  scarcely  be  heard.  But  these  cases  are  rare. 
Generally  the  people  are  attentive  and  love  to  hear 
the  Bible  read.  As  the  patients  pass  into  the  of- 
fice of  the  physician,  she  improves  every  oppor- 
tunity to  speak  a  word  for  the  Savior. 

Medical  missions  becomes  essentially  a  sower  of 
the  gospel  seed  by  all  waters,  letting  it  fall  where  it 
may.  Little  opportunity  is  left  to  water  and  culti- 
vate. The  patients  come  and  go,  some  from  far 
distant  ranches  and  some  never  to  return.  The 
word  of  truth  is  spoken,  the  tracts  and  Bibles  are 
carried  to  their  distant  mountain  homes,  and  the 
missionary  looks  to  the  fulfilment  of  the  sure  word 
of  prophecy  that  "as  the  rain  cometh  down,  and 
the  snow  from  heaven,  and  returneth  not  hither, 
but  watereth  the  earth  and  maketh  it  to  give  seed 
to  the  sower  and  bread  to  the  eater,  so  shall  my 
word  be  that  goeth  out  of  my  mouth.  It  shall  not 
return  unto  me  void,  but  it  shall  accomplish  that 
which  I  please." 

However,  the  work  is  not  without  its  results. 
Don     Severiano     came     from     a    distant     ranch 

173 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

for  treatment.  He  sat  in  the  waiting  room  as  the 
missionary  told  the  story  of  the  love  of  God.  The 
evangelical  plan  of  salvation  was  new  to  him.  He 
had  never  seen  a  Bible.  The  little  gospel  service 
was  nothing  less  than  fascinating  to  him.  Seeing 
that  he  was  intensely  interested,  the  physician  in- 
vited him  to  come  back  and  hear  more  of  the  gos- 
pel. Two  weeks  later  he  returned.  He  knocked 
at  the  window  of  the  missionary's  study  and  said, 
"I  have  come  for  you  to  get  me  out  of  my  ignor- 
ance. I  want  to  know  more  of  the  gospel."  For 
two  hours  the  missionaries  did  their  best  to  ex- 
plain to  him  the  way  of  salvation  through  the  Son 
of  God.  He  could  not  read  a  word.  He  bought 
a  large  Bible  and  began  to  spell  out  the  words  one 
by  one.  Twice  a  month  he  came  from  the  ranch 
to  attend  the  chapel  services  on  Sabbath.  One  of 
the  students  of  the  Preparatory  school  helped  him 
in  his  efforts  to  learn  to  read.  In  three  months  he 
was  reading  the  Bible.  Out  in  the  ranch,  they  say 
he  would  sit  for  hours  reading  his  treasured  book. 
Soon  he  saw  that  God  hates  impurity  and  he  re- 
membered that  he  had  never  married  the  mother 
of  his  children,  and  she  was  the  second  of  his  so- 
called  wives.  He  came  with  his  true  wife,  was 
married  by  the  civil  authorities  and  asked  to  be 
received  into  the  church.  His  life  had  been 
changed.  His  wife  tells  how  that  once  he  had 
been  a  hard  drinker,  but  now  he  has  quit  the  cup. 
Once  he  had  been  cruel  and  had  often  whipped 

74 


A    GROUP    OF    WOMEN    AND    CHILDREN    IN    THE    STATE    OF    GUERRERO. 


DON    SEVERIANO    AND    FAMILY,    OF    RIOVERDE,    IN    THEIR    HOME. 


OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

her,  but  now  he  is  kind  to  her.  Old  things  have 
passed  away  and  all  things  have  become  new. 

The  medical  missionary  accompanied  Rev.  J.  S. 
A.  Hunter  to  San  Antonio,  where  a  preaching  ser- 
vice was  held.  A  school  teacher  of  the  village  was 
sick  and  wished  the  physician  to  prescribe  for  him. 
This  she  did  only  for  those  who  attended  the  ser- 
vice, if  able.  The  sick  man  came.  His  wife  hid 
behind  the  house  and  looked  between  the  cane 
walls  to  see  his  eyes  leap  from  their  sockets,  for 
she  had  been  told  by  the  Catholics  that  such  would 
be  the  fate  of  all  who  should  dare  attend  the  meet- 
ing for  prayer  and  the  study  of  the  Bible.  The 
husband  had  run  the  risk  to  get  the  wonderful 
medicine  of  the  foreigner.  Nothing  happened,  ex- 
cept the  man  became  interested  in  the  gospel,  and, 
to  make  a  long  story  short,  he  was  soon  baptized 
in  the  faith  of  Jesus  Christ.  And  at  la^t,  she,  too, 
was  led  to  the  feet  of  the  Savior. 

While  the  medical  missionary  lived  in  Ciudad  del 
Maiz,  Doiia  Pancha  came  one  day  for  medicine. 
She  had  never  dared  to  enter  a  Protestant's  home, 
for  she  had  been  told  that  they  were  devils  with 
great  horns.  But  now,  for  the  sake  of  the  medi- 
cine, she  braved  the  danger.  There  she  heard  the 
gospel.  It  appealed  to  her  and  she  began  to  at- 
tend the  church  services  through  the  back  door  of 
the  church  that  her  friends  might  not  see  her.  She 
was  won  for  Christ,  and  then  her  husband  and  his 
brother,  and  then  his  wife.    For  years  this  convert 

75 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

has  had  charge  of  the  kitchen  of  the  Preparatory 
and  Theological  school,  and  has  served  her  Master 
most  faithfully.  Instances  might  be  multiplied. 
These  are  sufficient  to  illustrate  that  Medical  Mis- 
sions are  a  veritable  handmaid  of  the  gospel,  and 
deserve  a  place  among  the  foremost  and  most 
potent  agencies  that  work  and  wait  for  the  saving 
of  the  nations. 

The  Orphanage. 

Founder,  Mrs.  Amelia  B.  Edwards. 

Very  soon  after  her  arrival  in  Rioverde,  the  con- 
dition of  the  orphan  children  touched  the  heart  of 
Mrs.  Edwards,  and  she  resolved  to  do  what  she 
could  to  alleviate  the  misery  of  their  lot.  By  rea- 
son of  the  great  poverty  of  the  lower  classes,  the 
condition  of  the  fatherless  and  motherless  is  most 
distressing.  The  lack  of  home  surroundings,  and 
very  specially  the  fact  that  they  had  no  moral  train- 
ing, led  Mrs.  Edwards  to  open  the  little  orphan- 
age, December,  1897.  For  the  greater  part  of  the 
time  the  work  was  carried  on  in  the  home  of  the 
missionary.  Off  to  one  side  of  the  yard  were  fitted 
up  several  rooms,  which  the  little  girls  occupied. 
There  being  no  matron  to  take  charge  of  the  chil- 
dren and  look  after  their  interests,  the  missionary 
was  compelled  to  have  them  directly  under  her 
personal  care.  The  first  orphan  received  was  For- 
tunata  Hernandez.  Very  soon  the  number  in- 
creased to  five,  and  at  times  there  were  as  many  as 

176 


w 


OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

twelve  in  the  home.  The  children  were  sustained 
by  voluntary  contributions  made  by  the  home 
church.  The  superintendent  kept  the  people  in- 
formed as  to  the  needs  of  the  institution.  Many 
of  the  congregations  of  the  home  church  turned 
into  this  worthy  channel  their  contributions  made 
on  Thanksgiving  days.  Thus  all  the  needs  of  the 
orphans  were  met,  due  to  the  energetic  efforts  of 
the  superintendent,  and  her  constant  prayer  for 
them.  Their  welfare,  temporal  and  spiritual,  was 
the  burden  that  lay  upon  her  heart.  For  them  she 
labored  and  prayed.  Rev.  J.  P.  Erwin,  of  Rose- 
mark,  Tenn.,  moved  by  the  appeals  for  the  dhil- 
dren,  donated  the  funds  suf^cient  with  which  to 
purchase  a  lot  for  a  building.  Very  soon  Mr.  E. 
B.  Chester,  of  Tennessee,  contributed  $1600,  with 
which  to  erect  the  needed  home.  God  was  caring 
for  the  fatherless,  according  to  His  promise.  The 
children  moved  intO'  their  home  in  1903.  It  is  a 
substantial  building  of  two  stories  and  has  been  a 
blessing  to  the  children. 

In  1907  it  was  deemed  best  to  combine  the  orph- 
anage with  the  boarding  school  then  operated  by 
Miss  Lavinia  Neel.  This  was  done  both  on  ac- 
count of  the  need  of  a  capable  person  to  live  in  the 
building  with  the  orphans,  which  Mrs.  Edwards 
could  not  do,  and  also  to  place  the  two  institutions 
on  a  more  economical  basis,  which  could  be  done 
by  combining  them  under  one  management.  Three 
of  the  orphans  have  graduated  from  the  Presby- 

177 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

terian  Normal  School  of  Saltillo,  and  are  engaged 
in  teaching.  One  of  these  is  Senorita  Fortunata 
Hernandez,  assistant  teacher  of  the  Hattie  May- 
Chester  Institute.  Thoroughly  capable,  conscien- 
tious in  all  her  efforts,  she  labors  faithfully  for  the 
youth  of  her  race.  The  efforts  of  the  faithful 
founder  have  borne  fruitage  to  the  glory  of  the 
Master. 

Literature. 
I.     Our  Official  Organ,  "La  Fe  Cristiana." 

Very  keenly  had  been  felt  the  need  of  a  periodi- 
cal to  circulate  among  the  converts  of  the  mission. 
With  nO'  desire  to  ferment  the  spirit  of  denomina- 
tionalism,  the  paper  formed  the  lofty  aim  of  striv- 
ing to  bring  the  different  fields  of  the  mission  into 
closer  touch,  deepen  their  interest  in  our  own  de- 
nominational activities,  and  at  the  same  time  offer 
them  good,  sane,  evangelical  reading  matter.  Be- 
sides contributing  toward  the  efforts  to  build  up 
our  converts  in  the  rudiments  of  our  most  holy 
faith,  something  might  be  done  to  transmit  the 
good  news  of  salvation  to  those  beyond  the  pales 
of  the  church. 

Early  in  1908,  a  friend  of  North  Carolina,  do- 
nated a  press  and  type  for  the  enterprise.  With  the 
full  approval  of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions, 
"La  Fe  Cristiana"  sent  out  its  first  issue  August 
8,  1908,  having  two  departments,  one  in  Spanish 
and  one  in  English,  edited  by  Rev.  J.  G.  Dale. 
The  English  department  was  meant  for  the  home 

178 


OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

church.  It  was  felt  that  through  its  columns  a 
deeper  interest  might  be  quickened  among  the 
congregations  of  the  homeland  and  the  churches 
be  stirred  to  hold  more  faithfully  the  ropes  of  mis- 
sionary obligation  to  the  Regions  Beyond. 

At  the  close  of  the  first  year,  the  English  de- 
partment was  issued  separately,  being  sent  out 
monthly,  under  the  title  "Our  Mexican  Mission." 
"La  Fe  Cristiana"  was  changed  to  a  semi-monthly. 
The  former  goes  into  nearly  all  the  congregations 
of  the  Synod,  and  it  is  firmly  believed  that  much 
is  done  to  promote  a  livelier  zeal  for  missions.  The 
latter  has  subscribers  in  all  our  congregations  and 
from  testimonies  received,  the  paper  is  making 
rapid  strides  toward  the  attainment  of  its  high  end, 
that  of  becoming  an  ef^cient  medium  of  evangeli- 
zation. No  appropriation  of  funds  has  ever  been 
received  from  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions. 
With  the  help  of  a  few  friends,  it  has  been  self- 
supporting.  Through  its  agency,  thousands  and 
thousands  of  tracts  have  been  printed  and  scattered 
over  the  field. 

On  the  mission  field  the  power  of  the  religious 
press  is  unique  in  that  the  silent  messenger  travels 
far  into  the  mountain  towns  and  ranches  where 
the  voice  of  the  missionary  is  never  heard.  To  the 
humble  villages  it  preaches  Christ  and  Him  cruci- 
fied. The  following  bit  of  history,  which  is  being 
repeated  over  and  over  again,  is  eloquent  in  praise 
of  the  printed  page  as  it  travels  into  the  inaccess- 

179 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

ible  regions,  far  removed  from  the  centers  of  light. 
Two  years  ago  a  letter  reached  the  principal  of  the 
Preparatory  and  Theological  school  from  a  man 
who  lived  in  the  state  of  Vera  Cruz,  two  hundred 
miles  away  and  out  of  reach  of  the  missionaries. 
He  had  never  attended  an  evangelical  service.  No 
missionary  had  gone  to  his  little  ranch  to  j>oint 
him  to  the  Lamb  of  God,  who  could  take  his  sin 
away.  Years  ago  he  received  in  some  way  a  copy 
of  "El  Abogado  Cristiano."  the  organ  of  the 
Methodist  Church.  He  subscribed  for  the  paper 
and  read  it  with  the  zeal  of  a  man  who  was  awak- 
ening from  long  slumber  to  find  himself  possessor 
of  great  treasures.  Its  weekly  visits,  with  its  col- 
umns of  gospel  truth,  was  like  cold  water  to  his 
thirsty  soul.  Back  in  the  mountain,  where  to  be 
able  to  read  is  a  marked  attainment,  he  studied 
and  followed  on  to  know  the  Lord.  He  was  feel- 
ing after  God,  if  haply  he  might  find  Him,  and 
the  Bible  appealed  to  him  as  the  whole  truth,  the 
infallible  guide.  In  his  tailor  shop  he  daily  talked 
the  new  truths  he  had  learned.  Finally  he  saw  a 
notice  of  our  school  where  poor  boys  are  given  an 
opportunity  to  learn  and  work  for  the  Master. 
Though  nearing  thirty  years,  he  wrote  asking  to 
be  received,  saying  that  he  was  willing  to  do  any 
kind  of  manual  labor  for  his  board.  He  wanted 
light.  He  was  seeking  Jesus.  He  came,  and  in  a 
few  weeks  was  received  into  the  church.  His  life 
has  been  a  benediction  to  the  school.     Loved  and 

i8o 


OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

respected  by  all,  he  takes  under  his  care  the 
younger  boys  and  looks  after  the  details  of  the 
management  of  the  establishment,  thus  taking 
from  the  shoulders  of  the  principal  a  thousand  lit- 
tle burdens.  Gifted  with  an  ordinary  mental 
capacity  and  an  increasing  steadfastness  linked 
with  a  genuine  spirituality,  he  is  making  rapid  pro- 
gress and  promises  to  be  able  in  a  few  years  to 
take  charge  of  a  congregation.  And  to  judge  by 
these  two  years,  when  the  fruit  has  made  sure  that 
the  tree  is  good,  his  career  may  not  flash  with 
brilliancy,  but  Felipe  Bautista  will  render  the  Mas- 
ter a  service  of  a  most  lasting,  substantial  charac- 
ter. It  was  a  periodical  that  first  opened  his  eyes 
to  the  light.  All  honor  to  these  quiet  little  mes- 
sengers that  enter  homes  beyond  the  reach  of  any 
other  evangelical  influence  and  lead  souls  into  the 
clear  light  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness. 

2.       COLPORTAGE    WORK. 

The  American  Bible  Society,  with  its  headquar- 
ters in  Mexico  City,  has  its  colporteurs  stationed 
in  different  sections  of  the  Republic.  From  the 
central  towns  they  go  over  the  districts  selling  the 
Bibles  and  scattering  gospel  tracts.  Noble  heroes 
are  these.  Traveling  most  often  on  foot,  with  their 
books  packed  on  a  donkey,  they  invade  the  hot 
malarial  lowlands  of  the  tropics  as  well  as  the  chilly 
regions  of  the  table  lands.  Jeered  at  and  not  sel- 
dom driven  away  from  ranches,  sleeping  often  by 

i8i 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

the  roadside  and  faring  on  cold  corn  bread,  they 
will  surely  hear  the  blessed  well  done  of  the  faith- 
ful servant  and  enter  into  the  eternal  joy  of  their 
Lord. 

With  our  other  evangelical  forces  these  co-oper- 
ate without  a  jar.  While  only  men  of  known  spir- 
itual qualifications  are  employed,  they  are  strictly 
forbidden  to  talk  denominationalism  on  their  trips. 
They  must  talk  Jesus  and  the  way  of  salvation 
through  Him.  They  canvass  our  fields,  leaving 
thousands  of  Bibles  in  the  homes  and  always 
speaking  a  good  word  for  missionaries  and  their 
work.  And  thus  they  become  fellow  helpers  to 
the  truth. 

Every  missionary  considers  colportage  work  as 
included  in  his  commission  to  teach  the  nations. 
He  keeps  on  hand  a  stock  of  Bibles  and  testa- 
ments, a  part  of  which  he  carries  with  him  on  his 
itinerating  trips  from  ranch  to  ranch.  And  so  the 
Bibles  are  scattered  over  the  field  and  the  gospel 
truth  works  its  way  into  districts  miles  and  miles 
from  the  limits  of  congregational  activities.  And 
quietly,  but  slowly  and  efTfectually,  His  word  is 
accomplishing  that  which  He  pleases.  An  ex- 
ample, one  of  many,  will  suflfice. 

Returning  from  a  long  trip  on  horseback.  Rev. 
J.  S.  A.  Hunter  passed  Los  Charcos  del  Oriente. 
He  carried,  as  he  always  did,  his  bundle  of  Bibles. 
As  it  was  not  safe  to  travel  alone,  he  carried  a 
guide  to  whom  he  gave  a  Bible  before  they  parted. 

182 


OUR  MISSIONARY  AGENCIES. 

The  aspirations  of  the  guide  never  reached  beyond 
the  intoxicating  cup,  and  he  left  the  Bible  in  the 
home  where  they  passed  the  night.  The  owner  of 
the  house  found  the  book  and  began  to  read.  It 
was  like  a  voice  from  heaven.  He  pored  over  its 
pages  day  after  day.  His  less  serious  brother 
laughed  at  him  for  reading  the  book  with  such 
zest,  but  like  the  weeping  prophet,  he  had  found 
the  word,  he  was  feeding  on  it  and  it  had  become 
the  joy  and  rejoicing  of  his  heart.  He  was  a  con- 
sumptive and  soon  passed  into  the  great  beyond, 
but  his  death  was  so  triumphant,  so  peaceful,  that 
his  brother  felt  that  there  must  have  been  some- 
thing in  the  book  that  could  have  given  the  depart- 
ing soul  such  buoyant  hope,  and  so  he,  too,  began 
to  read.  The  message  took  hold  of  his  heart,  and 
he,  too,  found  the  same  joy.  He  lost  his  faith  in 
the  images  and  pictures  that  had  been  his  gods. 
"Thus  saith  the  Lord"  became  the  royal  rule  of  his 
Hfe.  A  storm  of  persecution  broke  upon  his  head, 
but  he  did  not  draw  back  from  the  cross.  Hear- 
ing of  the  Protestants  of  Ciudad  del  Maiz,  he  went 
asking  them  to  lead  him  farther  into  the  light. 
Like  thousands  of  his  countrymen,  he  had  reared 
a  family  but  had  never  married.  All  such  wrongs, 
he  at  once  righted,  and  was  baptized.  Returning 
to  his  ranch,  he  strove  to  be  a  torch  of  light  set  on 
a  hill  to  cast  its  rays  into  the  dense  darkness,  and 
bore  faithful  witness  for  his  Lord.  One  of  his  con- 
verts v/as  Dn.  Pampilo,  of  precious  memory,  who 

183 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

died  two  years  ago,  leaving  his  little  fortune  of 
$500  to  the  work  of  the  gospel.  And  others  learn- 
ed to  believe  on  Christ  through  him.  What  a 
work  of  grace  brought  to  pass  from  the  Bible  left 
in  the  ranch  by  the  missionary !  Only  at  the  great 
reckoning  day  will  it  be  known  what  a  mighty 
host  have  found  Him,  the  Desired  of  the  nations, 
ofif  in  lone  ranches  with  no  Philip  to  guide,  but  like 
this  simple  Indian,  looking  beyond  his  gods  of 
wood  and  paper,  and  led  by  the  Spirit  and  the 
Word,  have  seen  Jesus,  and  saved  by  that  look, 
have  pillowed  their  dying  head  on  the  precious 
promise  and  have  gone  home  to  their  newly-found 
Savior  and  Father — God. 


184 


CHAPTER  X. 


DIFFICULTIES. 


Falsehood  dies  hard.  For  every  inch  of  vantage 
ground,  truth  has  to  battle,  even  unto  blood.  From 
the  Red  Sea  to  the  Holy  City,  the  chosen  hosts 
of  God  had  to  v^ar.  The  history  of  redemption  re- 
peats itself.  Missions  that  would  enthrone  Christ 
Jesus  as  King,  have  to  grapple  with  difficulties 
more  defiant  than  the  swollen  stream  of  the  Jor- 
dan or  the  Jericho  walls  stretching  heavenward  to 
dispute  the  passage  of  Israel.  These  are  obstacles 
well-nigh  insurmountable,  and  woe  unto  the  faint- 
hearted. Passing  by  the  most  serious  difficulty, 
the  indifference  of  the  home  church,  let  us  mar- 
shall  out  into  the  clear  light,  the  difficulties  that 
beset  the  onward  progress  of  the  gospel  on  our 
field. 

I.     The  Fanaticism  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church. 

Rome  in  Mexico  hates  the  evangelical  faith  pre- 
cisely as  she  did  in  Europe  centuries  ago,  when, 
with  fire  and  fagot,  she  did  her  best  to  burn  to 
ashes  all  who  loved  Jesus,  their  pardoning  Lord. 
In  both  lands  the  inquisitional  fires  burned  and 
burned  till  the  strong  arm  of  law  compelled  them 
to  let  men  worship  God  as  their  consciences  dic- 
tated. Rev.  H.  W.  Brown  quotes  in  Latin 
America  a  Catholic  who  freely  confesses  that  un- 

185 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

der  necessity  the  Catholics  "would  tolerate  the 
Protestant,  and  if  expedient  he  would  imprison 
you,  fine  you  and  possibly  hang  you.  But  one 
thing  sure,  he  would  never  tolerate  you  for  the 
sake  of  the  glorious  principles  of  civil  and  religious 
liberty."  That  is  the  spirit  that  is  abroad  in  the 
land  where  we  labor.  Although  the  Reform  Laws 
protect  us,  still  the  smouldering  hatred  erects  high 
walls  of  opposition  that  separate  the  missionaries 
from  the  masses.  It  is  an  enmity  far  more  bitter 
than  the  hatred  of  the  homeland  toward  the  Mor- 
mons, traveling  over  the  country  winning  converts 
to  the  faith  of  John  Smith.  It  is  rather  the  abhor- 
rence of  the  reader  toward  a  literal  demon  who 
should  come  up  from  the  pit  assuming  the  form 
and  features  that  exactly  represent  his  inner  spirit, 
an  incarnation  of  the  old-time  pictures  of  Satan 
with  horns  and  hoofs.  This  is  not  the  attitude  of 
all,  but  the  opinion  of  the  faithful  Mexican  Cath- 
olics. To  use  their  own  phrase,  "Protestant  mis- 
sionaries are  devils." 

It  is  a  common  thing  to  see  those  whom  we 
meet  on  the  street,  make  crosses  on  their  foreheads 
or  mumble  a  prayer  to  their  favorite  saint  to  save 
them  from  the  defiling  contagion  of  the  Protestant 
devil.  Last  year  Sr.  Cejudo  went  to  San  Ciro  to 
sell  Bibles,  under  the  direction  of  the  American 
Bible  Society.  He  found  lodging  in  the  "meson" 
or  hotel.  The  first  day  it  was  noised  abroad  that 
he  was  a  Protestant.     The  startling  news  reached 

i86 


DIFFICULTIES. 

the  landlady  of  the  hotel  after  dark.  She  went  to 
the  room  and  told  the  colporteur  bruskly  that  he 
had  to  leave  at  once  for  s'he  would  not  shelter  a 
Protestant.  He  had  to  leave  at  the  dead  of  night. 
She  would  hardly  have  driven  out  a  poor  dog  at 
that  hour,  knowing  that  he  was  a  stranger  in  a 
strange  town.  The  next  day  she  scoured  with 
soap  and  water  the  room  where  the  unclean  Prot- 
estant had  been. 

About  that  time  the  missionary  of  Rioverde  was 
trying  to  rent  a  house  in  San  Giro  in  which  to  open 
gospel  work.  The  parish  priest  gathered  his  faith- 
ful followers  and  harangued  them  as  to  the  infernal 
character  of  these  hated  devils  that  were  coming 
to  town.  He  assured  them  that  the  blinding, 
withering  curse  of  God  would  fall  on  all  who  would 
befriend  them.  They  were  not  to  even  look  to- 
wards them.  The  town  awoke  one  morning  to 
find  on  the  public  square  a  large  tent  put  up  by  a 
lottery  company  to  ply  its  trade  on  the  coming 
Sabbath.  An  old  lady  had  started  out  to  buy  corn 
and  beans  for  dinner.  She  saw  the  tent  and  was 
sure  that  the  Protestants  had  arrived.  She  recall- 
ed the  exhortation  of  the  holy  father  (?)  not  to 
look  at  the  Protestants  and  ran  home  as  fast  as  she 
could.  She  asked  the  neighbors  what  she  was  to 
do,  for  now  she  could  not  go  to  market  because 
her  eyes  were  sure  to  fall  on  the  Protestants  and 
she  would  be  accursed.  Patients  have  come  to  our 
gate  and  begged  the  physician  to  come  out  and 

187 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

prescribe  for  them.    They  were  afraid  to  enter  the 
house  lest  some  great  evil  should  befall  them. 

A  water-carrier  who  sells  water  through  the 
streets  began  to  attend  the  evangelical  services. 
His  former  companions  jeered  at  him  and  cursed 
him  for  associating  with  the  "hated  devils."  Many 
of  the  homes  promptly  advised  him  that  they 
would  no  longer  buy  his  water.  He  had  rented  a 
small  tract  of  land  where  he  planted  corn.  The 
owner  advised  him  that  he  could  no  longer  hold 
his  land.  The  moment  that  he  showed  his  liking 
for  the  gospel,  the  billows  of  persecution  swept 
down  upon  him.  It  is  not  difficult  to  understand 
how  this  stubborn  fanaticism  stands  like  a  mighty 
breakwater  against  the  gospel  tide  of  salvation. 
Many  are  convinced,  so  they  tell  us,  that  the  gos- 
pel is  the  true  way  of  life,  but  they  go  away  sorrow- 
ful, for  they  are  not  ready  to  meet  the  shot  and 
shell  of  ridicule  and  ostracism  that  are  sure  to  pour 
their  volleys  into  the  breasts  of  the  persecuted.  On 
the  Congo  multitudes  flock  to  the  heralds  of  the 
cross,  and  in  Korea  they  fill  the  chapels  to  over- 
flowing, but  with  us,  Mexican  fanaticism  has  raised 
high  barriers,  and  the  crowds  stand  aloof  as  if  we 
were  lepers  or  mad  dogs.  What  Adoniron  Judson 
wrote  long  ago  of  Burmah,  is  every  whit  true  of 
Mexico,  "When  any  person  is  known  to  be  consid- 
ering the  new  religion,  all  his  relations  rise  up  en 
masse,  so  that  to  get  a  new  convert  is  like  pulling 
out  the  eye-tooth  of  a  tiger."     Uhlhorn  wrote  of 

i88 


DIFFICULTIES. 

the  early  church,  "Whoever  became  a  Christian 
was  compelled  to  renounce  not  only  immemorial 
prejudices,  but  usually  also  father  and  mother  and 
brothers  and  sisters,  friends  and  relatives  and  em- 
ployment." Our  converts  have  to  pass  through 
identical  experiences  and  they  are  tests  before 
which  many  shrink  back  unto  the  eternal  loss  of 
salvation. 

2.     Social  Caste. 

During  the  Spanish  domination  of  three  hun- 
dred years,  the  whole  land  became  nominally  Cath- 
olic. When  the  gospel  entered  forty  years  ago,  it 
spread  most  rapidly  among  the  poor,  as  it  did  in 
the  days  of  Paul,  and  as  it  has  always  done.  Of 
primitive  Christianity,  Gibbon  sneered  "that  the 
adherents  were  almost  entirely  composed  of  the 
dregs  of  the  population,  of  peasants,  mechanics,  of 
boys  and  women,  of  beggars  and  slaves."  His 
sarcastic  fling  was  Christianity's  glory.  To  mould 
saints  of  the  type  of  those  of  the  first  century,  and 
out  of  such  material,  is  abundant  proof  that  the 
movement  was  of  God.  It  is  so  with  us.  There 
are  not  a  few  from  the  upper  ranks  of  society,  but 
Protestantism  is  principally  the  religion  of  the 
poor.  Nor  are  we  ashamed  of  the  charge.  We 
are  willing  to  place  our  converts  alongside  those 
of  any  mission  field,  as  examples  of  what  the  grace 
of  God  can  do  for  prodigals  that  have  strayed  far 
from  the  Father's  house. 

189 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

For  the  higher  classes  to  heed  the  gospel  call 
and  sit  down  with  the  poor,  is  to  break  caste  and 
make  well  nigh  the  identical  sacrifice  of  the  Hindu, 
who  turns  his  back  on  Buddha  and  follows  the 
lowly  Nazarene.  And  many,  like  the  young  noble- 
man, are  not  willing  to  be  reckoned  as  the  off- 
scouring  of  the  world  for  His  sake.  Often  have 
friends  said  that  they  were  fully  convinced  that 
the  truth  was  on  our  side,  but  to  accept  and  follow 
would  be  to  invite  social  ostracism,  for  which  they 
were  not  ready. 

3.     Sabbath  Desecration. 

Mexico  has  no  Sabbath.  On  the  Lord's  day 
trade  is  best.  The  public  square  of  any  town  is 
alive  with  buyers  and  sellers.  From  all  the  sur- 
rounding country  the  merchants  come  with  their 
merchandise  for  sale,  and  the  people  with  their 
spare  money  to  buy.  The  stores  add  to  their  ordi- 
nary force  of  clerks.  Pre-eminently  it  is  market 
day.  Most  generally  in  front  of  the  Catholic 
church  is  found  the  market  place.  The  pious 
Romanists  attend  mass,  where  they  mumble  pray- 
ers to  some  favorite  saint,  and  on  their  way  home 
buy  provisions  for  the  week.  To  attend  mass  in 
the  forenoon,  a  bullfight  in  the  afternoon  and  a 
gay  ball  at  night  is  the  very  common  program  for 
the  Sabbath.  If  the  carpenter  or  farmer  is  behind 
with  his  work,  the  former  opens  his  shop  and 
works  all  day,  and  the  latter  carries  his  oxen  to 

190 


DIFFICULTIES. 

the  field  and  spends  the  day  following  his  plow  up 
and  down  the  furrows.  It  is  man's  day  and  not 
God's. 

To  all  this  the  gospel  runs  counter  and  calls 
the  Sabbathless  land  to  rest,  prayer  and  worship. 
And  to  wean  the  people  from  these  practices, 
woven  into  the  very  warp  and  woof  of  the  social 
fabric,  lead  them  to  endure  the  severe  losses  and 
self-denial  that  the  observance  entails,  is  nothing 
less  than  a  Herculean  task.  And  yet,  before  the 
applicant  for  baptism  receives  the  sacred  rite,  he 
must  vow  to  take  up  the  cross  of  Sabbath  observ- 
ance and  follow  Jesus. 

With  the  converts  too,  this  is  a  burning  ques- 
tion. Sabbath  being  sale  day,  articles  of  merchan- 
dise are  cheapest  then,  and  it  often  happens  that 
certain  things  cannot  be  bought  on  any  other  day. 
Hence  the  constant  temptation  to  avail  themselves 
of  the  low  prices  of  the  Sabbath.  Their  poverty 
makes  the  test  all  the  more  severe.  Many  of  those 
engaging  laborers  will  not  pay  off  their  employees 
till  the  Sabbath,  and  all  reserve  the  right  to  call  on 
them  to  continue  their  work  through  the  Sabbath, 
if  they  choose.  Amid  such  conditions,  where  the 
tide  is  against  all  respect  for  the  holy  day  of  rest 
and  where  the  poor  toiling  for  their  daily  bread, 
and  with  families  dependent  on  their  earnings,  find 
every  inducement  to  trample  under  foot  the  divine 
requirement,  it  becomes  for  the  Protestant  Church 
one  of  the  gravest  problems  on  the  field.     How 

191 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

shall  we  bring  the  Catholic  Church,  that  so  over- 
whelmingly outnumbers  us,  to  the  high  gospel 
standard  of  honoring  and  sanctifying  the  Sabbath? 
How  shall  we  get  our  converts  to  keep  clear  and 
distinct  the  lines  of  separation  between  the  Church 
and  the  world,  that  is  utterly  Sabbathless?  These 
and  kindred  questions  call  for  long  seasons  of 
prayer,  and  throw  the  worker  back  on  the  re- 
sources of  divine  power  and  wisdom.  Of  all  the 
matters  that  come  up  for  discussion  on  the  floors 
of  Presbytery,  none  are  so  frequently  heard  as 
this  ever-living,  burning  question  of  Sabbath  keep- 
ing. Though  the  Ten  Commandments  thundered 
from  Sinai  are  preached  from  the  pulpits,  though 
every  opportunity  is  seized  to  urge  obedience  to 
this  command  as  a  sine  qua  non  of  our  religion 
and  though  the  pastors  maintain  the  strictest  dis- 
cipline, it  is  no  easy  task  to  keep  the  standard  high 
for  the  current  is  all  against  us. 

4.  The  Anti'American  Spirit. 
The  President  of  Mexico  and  those  associated 
with  him  in  the  administration  of  the  affairs  of 
the  nation,  are  sincere  friends  of  the  United  States. 
Of  this  they  have  given  most  unmistakable  proof. 
And  the  more  thoughtful  element  of  the  country 
are  kindly  disposed  toward  the  American  immi- 
grants. They  recognize  that  their  northern  neigh- 
bors, coming  to  make  their  home  in  Mexico,  con- 
tribute to  the  development  of  the  land,  materially, 
intellectually  and  morally. 

192 


DIFFICULTIES. 

But  in  the  minds  of  a  great  many,  lurks  the  feel- 
ing that  the  presence  of  the  American  bodes  no 
good  for  the  country.  They  have  not  forgotten 
the  long  slice  of  territory  that  they  lost  in  the  war 
of  the  forties.  From  their  standpoint  it  was  an 
instance  when  might  made  right  and  the  sober 
sense  of  justice  had  no  voice.  Not  a  few  historians 
indoctrinate  into  the  minds  of  the  people  that  the 
nation  was  treated  most  unjustly  and  memory  lin- 
gers over  the  loss  as  the  Americans  throng  the 
land.  Demagogues  fan  to  a  flame  this  spirit,  tell- 
ing the  unthinking  that  the  American  missionaries 
are  spies,  forerunners  of  a  second  invasion  from 
the  North,  when  all  Mexico  will  be  annexed  to  the 
United  States.  Behind  the  Monroe  Doctrine  they 
think  they  can  see  a  cunningly  devised  scheme  to 
enlarge  the  Republic  of  the  stars  and  the  stripes. 
The  "Diario  del  Hogar,"  an  influential  paper  of 
Mexico  City,  in  view  of  the  recent  disturbances  in 
Central  America,  calls  upon  the  Republics  of  Latin 
America  to  unite  against  the  "Yankee  Oppressor." 
"In  the  presence  of  this  powerful  and  open  threat 
of  oppression,  we  must  forget  our  differences  and 
unite  for  the  welfare  of  Latin  America,  for  the 
weal  of  our  respective  countries,  and  to  protect 
our  independence.  The  eagle  on  the  White  House 
is  sharpening  its  claws  ready  to  prey  uix)n  our 
liberties.  The  Yankee  Napoleon  is  already  dis- 
posing of  our  future  and  forgetting  that  St.  Helena 
is  near."     And  the  priest,  ever  ready  to  slander 

193 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

the  evangelical  missionary,  remembers  how  his- 
tory has  called  the  Catholics  traitors  to  the  coun- 
try when  they  allied  themselves  with  the  Spaniards 
who  fought  the  liberalists  struggling  for  freedom, 
and  now  seeks  to  turn  the  tables  and  persuade  the 
people  that  the  Protestant  missionary  is  traitor, 
for  he  labors  on  a  secret  mission  to  effect  the 
overthrow  of  the  Mexican  government.  This 
works  havoc  to  missions.  The  Mexican  is  intense- 
ly patriotic  and  to  be  told  that  he  follows  a  mis- 
sionary whose  schemes  are  set  to  undermine  his 
government,  tries  his  faith,  or  at  least  makes  him 
less  favorably  disposed  toward  the  gospel  workers. 
From  this  race  prejudice  has  sprung  up  an 
ecclesiastical  organization  known  as  the  Indepen- 
dent Church.  It  opposes  all  that  is  American  and 
wages  bloody  war  on  the  different  denominations 
of  the  country.  Professedly  the  opposition  finds 
justification  in  the  division  of  the  Evangelical 
Church  into  so  many  branches  that  the  Independ- 
ents feel  called  upon  by  the  Providence  of  God  to 
introduce  another  distinct  creed  so  broad  and  lib- 
eral that  any  and  all  denominations  may  come  un- 
der its  ecclesiastical  wing.  It  requires  no  astute- 
ness to  see  that  the  motive  of  the  movement  is  the 
deep  dislike  towards  the  American  missionary  in 
the  evangelization  of  the  country.  They  insist 
that  the  Mexican  is  capable  of  carrying  forward 
to  complete  consummation  the  task,  and  urge  the 
people  not  to  receive  one  dollar  from  the  Boards. 

194 


DIFFICULTIES. 

Through  its  official  organ,  "Mexico  Evangelico," 
it  pours  its  venom  upon  the  foreign  missionary 
who  is  an  intruder  and  is  not  wanted  in  Mexico. 
Playing  the  role  of  feigned  patriotism,  it  has  stirred 
some  to  rally  under  the  Independent  banner.  And 
while  the  movement  is  surely  destined  to  come  to 
naught,  still  it  deceives  some  and  disturbs  the  quiet 
harmony  that  should  reign  in  the  missionary  cam- 
paign. In  Tampico  they  have  made  trouble  for 
Dr.  Pressly,  resulting  in  the  withdrawal  of  two  or 
three  members.  No  separate  organization  was  ef- 
fected. They  simply  stand  aside  and  find  fault  with 
all  that  is  done.  In  Cardenas  too,  they  have 
sowed  tares,  baptizing  three  persons,  some  of 
whose  matrimonial  relations  were  notoriously  il- 
licit. To  them  that  mattered  httle.  A  year  has 
passed  and  the  "disturber  in  Israel"  has  never  re- 
turned to  his  flock  of  three. 
5.  The  Presence  of  the  American  Population. 
The  influx  of  Americans  into  the  country  has 
been  enormous.  Fully  50,000  are  scattered  over 
the  country.  Capitalists  have  come,  investing 
$800,000,000.  As  a  rule,  these  have  set  their  heart 
on  gold  and  silver  mines,  rubber  plantations, 
orange  groves,  bales  of  henequen,  grazing  lands 
for  cattle,  and  to  reach  their  goal,  they  seem  will- 
ing to  trample  under  foot  all  those  high  virtues  of 
America's  best  manhood.  Many  have  come  seek- 
ing an  asylum  from  the  law  that  followed  close 
upon  their  heels  to  bring  them  to  justice  for  some 

195 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

crime  committed  in  the  States.  A  very  army  of 
railroad  men  pour  into  the  country.  These  have 
little  to  recommend  Christianity  in  the  States  and 
less  in  Mexico.  Thousands  lead  lives  of  moral 
shame  and  follow  tricks  of  trade  that  would  bring 
the  blush  of  shame  to  the  cheek  of  every  true 
American.  Trainloads  of  tourists  scour  the  coun- 
try, taking  the  Sabbath  for  special  excursions,  at- 
tending the  bullfights,  cockfights  and  making  no 
more  impression  for  Christianity  than  if  they  were 
direct  from  Paris,  whose  god  is  the  world.  The 
damage  done  missions  is  all  the  more  deadly  from 
the  fact  that  the  Catholics  look  upon  all  Americans 
as  Protestants,  and  the  priests  take  advantage  of 
the  situation  to  say  to  the  fanatical,  "This  is  a  sam- 
ple of  what  the  United  States,  with  its  boasted  ev- 
angelical religion,  can  do  for  men."  The  fore- 
going accusation  may  seem  severe,  but  the  facts 
justify  the  conclusion.  Exceptions  are  to  be  found 
here  and  there,  but  these  only  make  the  general 
rule  stand  out  in  bolder  outline. 

6.  The  Liberal  Spirit. 
Liberalism  is  abroad  in  the  land,  and  the  blame 
lies  at  the  door  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church. 
With  dogged  obstinacy,  Rome  has  fought  the  lib- 
eral party,  whose  purpose  has  been  liberty  and 
enlightenment.  "In  every  foreign  war  which  Mex- 
ico has  had,  namely  with  Spain  in  1829,  with 
France  in  1838,  with  the  United  States  in  1846, 
and  again  with  France  in   1862,  the  clergy  were 

196 


DIFFICULTIES. 

against  their  own.  government."*  This,  with  the 
moral  corruption  of  the  priesthood,  and  the  recog- 
nized avidity  of  the  Church  to  grasp  at  all  hazards 
and  at  all  seasons  every  opportunity  to  fill  its  cof- 
fers with  gold,  have  uprooted  the  faith  of  many, 
specially  men,  and  set  them  adrift  on  the  high  seas 
of  infidelity  and  liberalism,  without  chart  or  com- 
pass. Having  lost  confidence  in  one  religion,  they 
have  no  faith  in  any  creed.  With  frigid  indiffer- 
ence they  look  on  all  efforts  to  lead  men  to  the 
feet  of  God.  They  may  go  to  mass  once  in  a  while, 
but  it  is  only  to  accompany  their  wives  or  their 
daughters.  Most  of  them  spend  the  Sabbath  pay- 
ing off  their  employees  or  in  their  offices  arid 
stores. 

Of  all  classes,  this  is  the  most  hopeless.  Even 
the  most  fanatical  are  to  be  preferred  before  the 
liberal  type.  The  former  do  worship  idols,  but 
that  indicates  that  they  have  a  thirst  for  God  and 
are  feeling  after  Him  if  haply  they  may  find  Him, 
and  when  once  convicted  of  the  error  of  their  way, 
that  quest  for  God  inspires  them  to  follow  on  to 
know  the  Lord,  while  the  latter  is  dead  to  all  re- 
ligious sentiment,  the  most  discouraging  class  for 
the  gospel  missionary. 

7.     The  High  Standards  of  the  Gospel. 

Wu  Ting  Fang,  that  astute  Chinaman  who  visit- 
ed America  not  long  ago,  asserted  that  the  ideal 
of  Christianity  was  too  high,  that  therein  lay  the 


'Mexico  Coming  into  the  L.ight,  J.  W.  Butler,  page  67. 
197 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

prime  fault  of  the  Christian  faith,  the  radical  dif- 
ference between  it  and  Confucianism.  He  might 
have  added  in  all  truth  that  it  constituted  the  es- 
sential difference  between  Christianity  and  all 
other  religions.  Our  faith  holds  humanity  to  a 
divine  standard.  All  lies,  all  uncleanness,  all  social 
deceit,  all  evil  thinking,  all  double  dealing,  all  ille- 
gitimate social  relations,  all  Sabbath  breaking  and 
every  other  infringement  of  the  divine  law  are  un- 
flinchingly placed  under  the  ban.  Among  Mexi- 
can Catholics  the  gospel  conditions  are  thought 
too  stringent  and  many  turn  away.  Rome  has 
her  man-made  system  of  pardon  so  nicely  adjusted 
to  the  human  wish  that  the  devotee  can  take  little 
or  no  account  of  the  fundamental  principles  of 
right  and  wrong  behind  the  counter,  on  the  farm 
or  in  the  home.  He  may  deal  in  all  manner  of 
social  deceit,  spend  his  Sabbath  in  the  bull  ring,  in 
the  cock  pit  or  in  the  ball  room,  pass  days  on 
drunken  sprees  or  nights  in  gambling  dens,  and 
yet  have  his  spiritual  account  straightened  up  once 
a  year  to  return  over  the  same  ways  of  sin.  To 
such  the  gospel  condition  seems  hard  when  it  de- 
mands that  they  break  with  all  sin,  great  and 
small,  repent  of  their  iniquity  and  turn  to  God, 
who  searches  the  heart  and  face  a  future,  with  no 
thought  of  going  back  to  the  mire  of  former  sins. 
The  Romish  devotee  looks  upon  religion  as  a  set 
of  rules  to  be  kept,  a  pious  mumbling  of  prayers  to 
an  idol,  giving  alms  to  the  poor,  occasional  trips 

198 


DIFFICULTIES. 

over  long  distances  to  worship  some  wonderwork- 
ing image,  stated  confession  to  the  priests;  and  he 
finds  the  simple  faith  in  God  and  implicit  obedience 
to  Him  through  Jesus  Christ  by  the  sole  help  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  a  most  unwelcome  task.  His  is  a  relig- 
ion of  externalities  that  fails  to  touch  the  heart,  the 
springs  of  life;  and  when  the  evangelical  worker 
insists  on  a  pure  heart,  simple  faith  in  the  dead  but 
risen  and  glorified  Savior,  whole-hearted  loyalty 
to  Him  and  Him  alone,  clear-cut  abandonment  of 
all  known  sin,  a  life  of  Bible  study  and  prayer,  he 
confesses  that  the  demands  are  too  searching,  and 
returns  to  his  fold.  It  is  easier  to  crawl  a  mile  on 
one's  knees  to  pay  a  vow  to  an  image,  than  to  keep 
the  heart  clean  and  undefiled.  It  is  an  hundred- 
fold easier  to  bruise  the  body  till  covered  with 
blood,  than  to  keep  the  soul's  trust  firm  and  un- 
wavering in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  of  God,  which 
alone  can  take  away  the  guilt  of  sin. 

A  prominent  citizen  of  Ciudad  Fernandez  at- 
tended the  services.  He  felt  the  drawings  of  the 
Spirit.  His  spiritual  desires  were  awakened.  But 
he  soon  saw  that  the  gospel  called  for  a  clean  life. 
No  longer  could  he  take  his  morning  dram,  which 
had  been  as  regular  as  his  cup  of  coffee.  He  could 
no  longer  pass  intoxicating  drinks  across  the 
counter  of  his  store.  The  doors  of  his  store  would 
have  to  be  closed  on  Sabbath.  With  admirable 
frankness  he  confessed  that  the  conditions  of  dis- 

199 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

cipleship  were  too  rigid,  he  must  give  up  too 
much  and  he  went  back  to  walk  no  more  with  us. 

Nearly  all  the  heads  of  families  received  into  the 
Church  have  first  of  all  to  go  before  the  civil  au- 
thorities and  be  legally  joined  in  matrimony.  For 
years  the  father  and  mother  have  been  rearing 
famihes  under  the  most  illicit  conditions,  and  the 
missionary  must  see  that  the  moral  crookedness 
is  made  straight  before  they  can  receive  the  rite 
of  baptism.  For  this  sad  state  of  things  the  gov- 
ernment does  not  bear  the  blame.  While  no 
ecclesiastical  ceremony  is  recognized  as  legally 
binding,  the  government  ofifers  to  perform  the  civil 
ceremony  free  of  charge.  And  to  encourage  par- 
ents to  enter  the  civil  contract,  all  children  are  re- 
quired to  be  registered  eight  days  after  birth, 
which  can  only  be  done  when  the  father  and 
mother  are  legally  married,  and  if  the  child  is  not 
registered  it  can  claim  no  part  of  the  inheritance 
before  the  law.  At  this  point  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  steps  in  and  assures  the  citizen  of  the 
Republic  that  the  civil  contract  is  useless,  be- 
fore God  it  is  not  binding,  and  that  only  the  priest 
can  unite  them  in  true  wedlock.  For  his  services 
the  charges  of  the  priest  are  such  that  often  the 
poor  are  not  able  to  pay  them.  And  so  the  two 
live  together  unmarried. 

It  often  happens  that  one  of  the  two  comes  un- 
der the  power  of  the  gospel.  To  be  baptized  they 
must  comply  with  the  civil  requirement  or  separ- 

200 


DIFFICULTIES. 

ate.  Not  unfrequently  the  woman  is  inferior  to 
the  man,  who  looks  upon  her  rather  as  his  servant, 
and  so  is  not  willing  to  make  his  life  one  with 
hers,  and  yet  for  the  sake  of  the  children  he  is  not 
ready  to  separate.  For  other  reasons,  it  some- 
times happens  that  they  are  not  willing  to  marry 
and  not  ready  to  part.  There  falls  across  their 
way  an  Alpine  barrier  over  which  to  climb  to  reach 
the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Where  this  difficulty  is 
removed  and  they  are  married  and  baptized,  the 
long  years  of  illicit  relations  have  seared  the  con- 
science, and  long  stages  of  spiritual  training  are 
needed  to  bring  them  up  to  the  gospel  standard 
of  a  conscience  void  of  offence. 

8.     Superstition. 

This  works  mischief  to  the  unlettered  as  the 
fear  of  social  ostracism  does  to  the  educated. 
Among  the  lower  classes  superstition  is  rife.  To 
hang  about  the  neck  tiny  images  renders  them  im- 
mune to  all  evil  spirits.  A  tiny  Christ  on  the  cross 
is  placed  in  the  mouth  of  the  dying  soul  which 
helps  it  to  pass  safely  through  the  gates  of  glory. 
On  the  way  to  the  graveyard  are  discharged  fire 
crackers  to  frighten  away  the  evil  spirits  that  oth- 
erwise would  torment  the  soul  on  its  way  into  the 
other  world.  On  the  night  of  the  first  day  of  No- 
vember food  is  prepared  for  the  dead,  who  return 
to  visit  the  scenes  of  their  earthly  pilgrimage. 
Dainty  dishes  are  prepared  and    placed    on    the 

20I 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

piazza  or  in  a  special  room,  where  the  departed 
may  have  access  to  them.  Our  washwoman  lost 
her  husband  years  ago  from  the  blasting  curse  of 
drink.  On  the  night  of  All  Saints  day  we  passed 
her  home  and  could  see  through  the  cane  walls  on 
a  little  altar  a  bottle  of  whiskey.  These  beliefs, 
current  among  the  common  people,  are  not  one 
whit  less  superstitious  than  those  of  the  Buddhist 
who  feeds  his  gods.  One  night,  so  the  children 
tell  of  the  mother,  she  had  prepared  a  choice  meal 
for  the  deceased  father.  All  were  in  bed  when  a 
noise  was  heard  in  the  adjoining  room  as  if  some- 
one was  eating.  "Listen  children,"  she  said,  "do 
you  not  hear  your  father  eating."  They  found 
that  it  was  a  hungry  dog  prowling  about  the 
premises. 

The  tenth  of  January  is  the  red  letter  day  for 
the  animals.  "Antonio"  is  their  patron  saint.  About 
the  year  two  hundred  and  fifty  he  retired  to  a 
cave  to  hide  from  temptation.  Satan  determined 
not  to  leave  him  to  his  holy  meditations.  He 
sent  thronging  evil  spirits  in  the  form  of  fiercest 
animals.  These  expected  that  the  pious  monk 
would  come  out  and  curse  them  for  their  insolence. 
Rather  he  blessed  them,  so  the  Catholic  version 
runs.  Thus  it  is  that  each  year  the  j>eople  carry 
their  animals  to  the  parish  priest  for  him  to 
sprinkle  holy  water  upon  them  and  bless  them. 
Pigs,  turkeys,  goats,  chickens,  donkeys,  etc.,  etc., 
are  carried  to  the  church.     With  the  blessing  of 

202 


DIFFICULTIES. 

the  priest,  the  hog  will  yield  more  meat,  the  sheep 
will  give  finer  wool,  the  cows  will  give  richer  milk, 
the  horses  will  run  faster  on  the  race  course,  the 
canary  will  sing  more  sweetly,  and  the  cock  will 
prove  a  better  fighter  in  the  games.  It  is  a  rare 
sight  as  the  pious  lead  their  animals  away  from 
the  church.  Some  are  painted  for  the  occasion, 
while  others  are  festooned  with  colored  paper  and 
flying  ribbons. 

Last  August  a  terrific  storm  swept  down  upon 
Zapotlan.  A  humble  shepherd  was  passing  the 
hill  when  he  saw  the  blinding  lightning  rend  in 
twain  a  great  rock  that  lay  on  the  side  of  the 
mountain.  And  on  the  face  of  the  rent  rock  the 
virgin  left  the  photograph  of  her  face.  He  ran  to 
tell  the  village  priest,  who,  with  the  crowds  of  the 
faithful,  went  out  to  see,  and  sure  enough  it  was 
true  (?).  The  priest  said  that  he  could  see  the  im- 
print of  the  face  of  Mary,  and  all  shouted  "Amen." 
The  picture  was  called  the  Divine  Lady  of  Zapot- 
lan, and  became  a  Mecca  for  the  devoted  of  that 
section.  It  is  but  one  of  the  hundreds  of  appear- 
ances of  the  virgin  in  the  Republic. 

Such  superstition  abounding  everywhere,  affords 
a  most  fruitful  soil  in  which  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  can  sow  the  follies  of  her  creed,  instill  in 
the  minds  of  the  people  the  most  absurd  and  un- 
just beliefs  as  to  the  character  of  the  Protestants, 
and  make  it  exceedingly  difficult  for  the  simple, 
sane  teaching  of  the  gospel  to  take  root  in  their 

203 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

hearts.  And  even  after  our  members  have  been 
converted  from  these  follies,  the  superstitious  ideas 
still  ding  to  them  and  tend  to  choke  the  good 
seed  of  truth.  Less  than  a  fortnight  ago,  a  man 
who  loves  the  Lord  with  all  his  heart,  came  to  ask 
if  the  story  he  had  just  heard  was  true.  Pilgrims 
had  brought  the  news  from  one  of  the  shrines 
where  they  had  gone  to  worship  a  famous  image, 
that  they  had  seen  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ  on  a 
brick  near  the  shrine,  and  the  priest  had  affirmed 
that  it  was  the  very  true  face  of  Christ.  Patiently 
and  persistently  the  missionary  had  to  show  him 
the  folly  of  these  things,  that  a  "thus  saith  the 
Lord"  is  to  be  the  touchstone  of  what  we  beheve, 
and  not  a  "thus  saith  the  priest." 

These  and  other  difficulties  stand  in  the  way  of 
the  progress  of  the  gospel,  but  shall  they  be  a  sig- 
nal for  retreat?  That  was  far  from  the  spirit  of 
Paul.  "I  will  tarry  at  Ephesus,  for  there  is  a  great 
and  effectual  door  opened  unto  me,  and  there  are 
many  adversaries."  The  presence  of  the  enemy 
was  an  invitation  to  stay  on  the  field  and  fight  it 
out.  The  difficulties  of  the  field  stirred  all  the  iron 
that  was  in  his  blood  and  nerved  him  with  the 
manliness  to  stay  at  Ephesus,  just  because  it  was 
the  thickest  of  the  fight.  He  was  not  the  man  to 
shun  a  hard  place,  or  run  from  a  foe. 

Mexico  is  a  hard  field.  Roman  Catholicism  in- 
trenched there,  faces  about  like  the  lion  of  Gibral- 
tar and  refuses  to  be  driven  from  his  lair.     Every 

204 


DIFFICULTIES. 

inch  of  vantage  ground  has  to  be  fought  over,  and 
won  by  a  struggle  unto  blood  that  tries  the  stout- 
est hearts.  Difficulties,  whose  aame  is  legion,  ig- 
norance, superstition,  fanaticism,  prejudice,  etc., 
lie  in  our  way,  so  that  the  number  of  converts  does 
not  reward  our  efforts  as  in  other  lands.  Shall  we 
beat  a  retreat  and  invest  in  souls  elsewhere?  Or 
shall  these  things  be  the  inspiration  for  a  forward 
march?  Shall  we  retire  from  the  field  of  battle 
where  we  have  engaged  the  enemy,  because  we 
chanced  to  fall  upon  the  lines  of  attack  where  the 
charge  is  fiercest,  the  difficulties  greatest  and  the 
results  most  discouraging?  Would  that  savor  of 
the  heroism  of  Him  who  set  His  face  like  a  flint 
to  the  difficulties  of  the  way,  and  taking  up  His 
cross  went  quietly  through  all  the  besetting  foes, 
even  to  the  brow  of  Calvary? 


205 


CHAPTER  XI. 
ENCOURAGEMENTS. 

"Watchman,  what  of  the  night?"  Darkness, 
gross  darkness  had  covered  the  land.  The  nation 
has  been  sitting  in  the  shadows  of  spiritual  night. 
The  land,  with  crosses  on  well-nigh  every  hilltop, 
has  been  waiting  for  the  Christ  of  the  cross.  It 
has  been  night.  One  long  night.  At  last  there 
are  gleams  of  light  to  encourage  us.  The  morning 
Cometh. 

It  is  said  that  our  converts  are  few.  Missionary 
letters  tell  of  a  veritable  Pentecost  in  Korea, 
where  workers  are  waiting  to  train  and  baptize 
the  crowds  that  wait  for  admission  into  the  king- 
dom of  heaven.  Down  on  the  Congo,  the  black 
sons  of  the  swamps  are  gathering  by  the  hundreds, 
seeking  the  way  of  life.  Churches  in  China  are 
being  filled  by  those  who  have  deserted  Confucius 
and  are  clinging  to  the  Christ.  From  India  come 
messages  of  hope,  that  the  Brahmins  and  the 
Buddhists  are  losing  faith  in  their  gods  of  wood 
and  stone.  It  is  not  so  with  missions  in  Mexico, 
and  our  critics  say  that  the  work  is  a  failure.  Have 
they  forgotten  gospel  work  throughout  the  entire 
Moslem  world?  What  about  Arabia,  Egypt,  the 
Sudan,  Turkey  and  other  lands  where  Islam  is 
supreme?  Who  comes  from  these  fields  to  bear 
witness  of  vast  throngs  flocking  into  the  kingdom? 
Missions  among  outright  pagan  nations  reap  abun- 

206 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 

dant  harvests,  while  those  among  relig-ions  with 
half  of  the  truth  hke  Roman  CathoHcism  and  Mo- 
hammedanism find  the  task  slow  and  plodding. 
One  by  one  the  converts  put  ofT  the  works  of 
darkness. 

To  illustrate.  Turkey  proper,  that  is,  Turkey 
European  and  Asiatic,  is  the  center  of  the  Cres- 
cent. It  is  the  stronghold  of  the  Mohammedan 
faith.  Missionary  work  was  begun  there  as  early 
as  182 1.  According  to  the  reports  filed  in  the 
Foreign  Missions  Library  of  New  York  by  the  two 
Societies  at  work  in  Turkey,  the  American  Board 
and  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  Board,  there  are 
at  work  in  this  field  191  missionaries,  male  and 
female,  with  native  force  of  1163,  and  a  church 
membership  of  15,690. 

Alongside  of  this  showing,  place  the  statistical 
results  accomplished  in  Mexico.  Fifty  years  after 
the  establishment  of  missions  in  Turkey,  the  first 
missionaries  opened  work  in  Mexico.  While  Tur- 
key has  a  force  of  191,  Mexico  has  176,  and 
while  the  former  has  1163  native  men,  Mexico  has 
only  278.  Yet  the  Mexican  field  has  yielded  a 
harvest  of  28,618  souls,  while  Turkey  missions  re- 
port only  15,690.  And  the  same  proportion  will 
hold  good  throughout  the  Mohammedan  world. 
Missions  in  Roman  Catholic  lands  can  make  as 
creditable  showing  as  those  in  Mohammedan  lands. 
Both  fields  are  peculiarly  dif^cult,  but  in  neither 
case  is  there  ground  for  discouragement. 

207 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

A  mighty  temple  is  to  be  reared.  First  of  all, 
the  dense  forest  is  cleared  away,  the  giant  oaks 
felled  and  the  trunks  drawn  out  of  the  earth.  The 
mounds  are  leveled,  the  debris  removed,  the  rocks 
blasted  and  hauled  from  the  grounds,  the  machin- 
ery placed,  the  excavation  made  and  the  earth 
carried  away.  After  all  this  preparatory  work  is 
done,  the  foundations  are  laid  and  the  structure  is 
reared.  For  years  missionaries  have  been  laboring 
to  build  a  national  evangelical  church  in  Mexico. 
To  accomplish  this,  time  and  energies  have  had  to 
be  spent  in  clearing  away  the  rubbish  of  supersti- 
tion, taking  out  the  rocks  of  fanaticism,  leveling 
down  the  hills  of  race  prejudice,  filling  up  the  val- 
leys of  ignorance.  Scarcely  have  they  begun  to 
build  as  yet.  But  the  structure  is  rising,  as  the 
574  congregations  with  28,618  members  testify. 

The  Spirituality  of  the  Converts. 

"Missions  are  to  be  judged  by  the  quality  of  the 
converts,  and  not  by  the  quantity,"  is  a  dictum  oft 
quoted  in  missionary  literature.  Our  laborers  are 
willing  to  accept  the  challenge.  Though  they 
"walked  in  lasciviousness,  lusts,  excess  of  wine, 
banquetings  and  abominable  idolatries,"  they  have 
put  off  these  works  of  darkness  and  no  more  live 
to  the  lust  of  men,  but  strive  to  do  the  will  of  God. 
Though  born  and  reared  in  an  atmosphere  that 
begets  no  holy  aspirations  of  dynamic  power  to 

208 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 

lift  the  soul  upward  from  its  groveling  tempta- 
tions; without  the  splendid  advantages  of  a  Chris- 
tian education  that  brings  within  the  compass  of 
life  all  the  unspeakable  glories  of  sacred  literature; 
bereft  of  the  heritage  of  a  pious  parentage  that 
shields  the  soul  like  a  mighty  breakwater  against 
the  surging  tide  of  evil  forces;  still  our  converts 
make  marked  attainments  in  the  divine  life.  This 
is  not  saying  that  some  do  not  fall  from  their 
steadfastness  and  go  back  to  the  leeks  and  garlicks 
of  Egypt,  but  the  proportion  is  no  greater,  per- 
haps, than  at  the  beginning,  when  one  of  the  first 
twelve  converts  drew  back  to  perdition.  Most  of 
them  choose  rather  to  sufifer  affliction  with  the 
people  of  God,  than  to  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  sin 
for  a  season.  They  esteem  the  reproach  of  Christ 
greater  riches  than  the  treasures  of  the  Papacy,  for 
they  look  unto  the  recompense  of  the  reward.  The 
fires  of  the  Inquisition  no  longer  burn,  but  the 
sneers  and  shouts  of  ridicule  can  do  a  work  more 
deadly,  and  yet  our  converts  remain  true  to  the 
Master.  It  is  easier  to  go  into  the  flames  singing 
than  to  bear  the  daily,  and  ofttimes  the  hourly, 
taunt  of  jeering  fanaticism  that  brands  the  mem- 
bers as  traitors  to  their  forefathers  and  to  their 
country.  Hosts  of  them  have  to  take  up  a  cross 
and  follow  Him  up  the  long,  rocky  way  to  the 
skull-shaped  dome  at  the  end  of  unflinching  devo- 
tion and  abide  the  issue  there,  hung  by  the  merci- 
less spiritual  nails  of  Romish  hatred.     Many  do 

209 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

not  count  their  lives  as  dear  unto  themselves  and 
are  willing  to  die  at  the  Jerusalem  of  duty  for  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 

Dona  Catarina  Arcos  was  a  Catholic  of  the 
Catholics.  Her  heart's  chief  devotion  was  un- 
sparingly poured  at  the  feet  of  the  image  of  the 
virgin  Mary,  whose  altar  sat  in  her  room  year  after 
year.  Before  that  image,  with  her  rosary,  she 
prayed  morning,  noon  and  night.  She  was  a 
member  of  the  sisterhood,  composed  of  the  most 
pious  daughters  of  the  virgin.  Like  Luther 
cHmbing  the  Scala  Santa,  she  labored  to  be  one 
of  the  straitest  of  the  sect.  With  it  all  she  was 
a  great  drunkard.  Almost  every  afternoon  she 
drank  till  too  intoxicated  to  walk.  Tired  of  the 
galling  bondage  of  drink,  she  begged  the  virgin 
to  rescue  her  from  the  fiendish  clutches  of  the  cup, 
but  no  help  came.  Her  faith  in  the  image  was 
being  undermined.  One  night  she  was  passing 
the  house  where  Rev.  J.  R.  Edwards  was  preach- 
ing. The  singing  attracted  her,  and  slipping  in 
the  room,  she  took  a  back  seat  trembling  with  fear. 
She  would  not  have  been  surprised  had  a  thunder- 
bolt rolled  from  the  sky  and  shaken  the  building 
to  ruins,  so  intense  would  be  the  anger  of  the  vir- 
gin that  this  devoted  daughter  of  hers  should  at- 
tend a  gospel  service.  They  were  singing  the 
twenty-third  psalm,  that  nightingale  song  of  di- 
vine peace  to  the  soul.    Down  in  the  hidden  depths 

2IO 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 

of  her  heart  she  knew  that  the  virgin  had  never 
satisfied  her  soul-hunger.  The  psalm  told  her 
that  Jesus  could  fill  that  aching  void  of  her  heart 
and  make  her  life  one  grand,  sweet  song.  The 
Master  was  knocking  at  the  door  of  her  heart  and 
she  let  Him  in.  She  abandoned  her  sisterhood, 
threw  away  her  idols  and  opened  her  heart  to 
make  Jesus  King  of  all  within.  Before  she  had 
besought  the  virgin  to  take  away  the  thirst  for 
drink  that,  like  a  vampire,  was  drinking  up  her 
very  life  blood,  but  the  virgin  was  powerless  to 
give  her  victory.  Now  she  asked  Jesus,  and  He 
who  reached  down  His  tender  hand  and  drew 
Jerry  McCauley  out  of  the  mire,  lifted  her  and 
placed  her  feet  upon  the  Rock  of  the  Ages.  The 
desire  for  drink  was  gone  and  has  never  returned. 
Fanatical  friends  sneered,  cursed  and  persecuted 
her,  but  during  all  these  fifteen  years  she  has  been 
true  to  her  Lord.  Like  the  adopted  daughter  of 
Ezekiel's  vision,  the  Lord  washed  her  from  her 
drunkenness  and  idolatry,  clothed  her  with  the 
embroidered  work  and  fine  linen  of  a  quiet  holi- 
ness and  her  renown  has  gone  forth  among  all 
who  know  her  for  the  spiritual  comeliness  that 
He  has  put  upon  her.  For  six  years  she  has  had 
charge  of  the  humbler  part  of  the  management  of 
the  Hattie  Chester  Institute,  and  no  girl  has  gone 
out  from  that  school  without  having  felt  the  rich 
aroma  of  her  quiet  saintliness.  She  is  a  jewel  for 
the  retired  pastor's  crown. 

211 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

Don  Pablo  Morato,  of  Chiconcillo,  was  an  idola- 
ter, serving  his  idols  with  all  the  powers  of  body 
soul  and  spirit.  While  yet  young  he  was  seized 
with  a  sickness  which  all  felt  would  be  fatal.  His 
only  hope  was  the  famous  image  kept  at  Tampico 
Alto,  about  one  hundred  miles  away.  It  was  the 
figure  of  Christ  nailed  to  the  cross,  soiled  by  the 
kisses  of  devotees  of  one  hundred  years  and  al- 
most eaten  up  by  worms.  With  no  power  to  save 
itself,  they  say  that  it  can  save  others.  To  this 
"Senor  de  Tampico  Alto,"  thousands  up  and  down 
the  coast  say  their  daily  prayers.  When  sickness 
or  some  other  misfortune  overtakes  the  faithful, 
they  look  to  the  image  and  make  a  vow  that  if  it 
will  render  them  the  needed  help,  they  will  make 
a  pilgrimage  carrying  a  present  and  ever  after- 
ward it  will  be  the  object  of  their  supreme  devo- 
tion. This  Don  Pablo  did.  He  recovered  and  at 
once  set  out  for  the  shrine,  carrying  the  promised 
gift.  There  kneeling  at  the  feet  of  this  deaf,  dumb, 
dead  god,  but  to  him  all  powerful,  he  gave  it  the 
glory  of  his  healing  and  vowed  to  dedicate  his 
soul  with  utter  abandon  to  the  will  of  his  patron 
saint  and  savior.  With  him  there  was  no  thought 
of  the  Father's  love;  no  repentance  of  his  sin, 
though  he  had  been  a  very  Solomon  in  the  wick- 
edness of  carnal  desire;  no  effort  to  find  cleansing 
for  his  heart  which  had  been  a  temple  of  foul  wan- 
tonness and  ungoverned  lust;  no  faith  in  the  Lamb 
of  God  to  wash  him  from  his  innate  and  added 

212 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 

corruption.  His  religion  consisted  in  prayer  to 
this  image  three  times  a  day,  and  trust  in  it  for 
this  world  and  the  next.  He  bougfht  a  Httle  pic- 
ture of  the  idol,  had  the  resident  priest  to  bless  it, 
and  returned  home.  For  his  little  god  he  made  an 
altar  in  his  home  and  there  he  knelt  three  times 
each  day.  He  himself  affirms  that  with  him  there 
was  no  thought  of  the  God  above  as  he  looked  to 
his  image.  He  expected  that  the  image  would 
arrange  the  matter  of  his  sin  and  receive  him  into 
glory  at  last.  Did  he  have  to  be  absent  from  home, 
he  could  not  pray  till  he  returned  to  the  feet  of 
his  image,  where  he  would  say  all  the  prayers  that 
were  not  repeated  while  away.  Breathing  out 
threatening  somewhat  like  the  apostle  against  the 
gospel,  he  did  his  utmost  to  bring  to  naught  the 
cause  of  the  gospel  carried  on  in  his  village. 

His  son  went  to  Tampico  and  bought  a  Bible 
from  Rev.  N.  E.  Pressly.  Returning  home  with 
his  treasure,  he  would  slip  away  into  the  woods 
at  night  with  a  candle  to  study,  for  he  would  not 
dare  let  his  father  see  the  accursed  book.  During 
the  day  the  book  lay  hidden  in  the  garret  of  the 
home.  One  night  the  father  watched  him  go  to 
the  woods,  return  and  hide  his  book.  During  the 
day  he  took  down  the  Bible  and  studied  for  him- 
self. He  had  never  seen  such  a  book  with  its 
mines  of  hidden  treasures.  It  led  him  out  of  the 
darkness.  He  began  to  attend  the  gospel  services 
held  in  Chiconcillo.     During  his  annual  visits  Dr, 

213 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

Pressly  would  teach  him  for  hours  each  day,  for 
he  received  the  truth  with  the  unwavering  faith 
of  a  httle  child.  Clearly  he  saw  the  error  of  his 
way,  brought  his  favorite  idol  to  the  mission- 
ary and,  renouncing  it  forever,  gave  his  heart  to 
Christ.  Now  the  idol  was  nothing  and  Jesus  was 
all.  At  once  he  reared  a  family  altar.  Recogniz- 
ing that  he  was  saved  to  serve,  he  heard  the  call, 
and  like  Andrew,  began  with  his  own  family.  Soon 
his  wife  and  all  the  children  followed  him  in  his 
new  faith.  He  asked  the  missionary  to  teach  him 
that  he  might  go  to  the  neighboring  ranches  and 
tell  them  what  great  things  the  Lord  had  done 
for  him.  So  intense  was  his  zeal  that  Presbytery 
gave  him  a  license,  and  through  all  these  twenty 
years  he  has  spent  the  Sabbaths  in  the  ranches  on 
the  coast  holding  religious  services,  paying  from 
his  own  private  funds  the  rent  of  the  house,  and 
for  his  work  receiving  nothing  save  the  hope  of 
a  crown  at  the  Master's  coming.  He  has  a  large 
farm  and  each  day  here  and  there  on  his  rounds, 
he  has  secret  places  for  prayer.  By  the  roadside, 
on  his  farm  and  through  the  ranches,  he  talks  the 
gospel,  for  the  word  of  God  is  like  a  fire  shut  up  in 
his  bones,  till  weary  with  forbearing  he  cannot 
stay  the  message.  Such  examples  of  spirituality 
might  be  multiplied  of  those  who,  like  the  Thessa- 
lonians,  have  turned  from  their  idols  to  serve  the 
living  and  true  God  and  to  wait  for  His  Son  from 

214 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 

heaven.  They  quicken  our  faith  and  nurture  with- 
in us  larger  hope  for  the  ultimate  evangelization 
of  the  land. 

The  Evangelistic  Spirit  of  the  Converts. 

Fully  three-fourths  of  the  converts  brought  into 
the  fold  of  Christ  each  year  are  the  fruits  of  the 
personal  efforts  of  the  members,  who  have  inter- 
ested them  in  the  gospel  and  thus  opened  the  way 
for  the  pastor  or  missionary  to  reach  the  seeking 
souls  and  lead  them  to  the  Savior.  More  than  in 
the  homeland,  perhaps,  have  they  felt  the  weight 
of  the  individual  responsibility  of  souls.  And  it 
bodes  good  for  the  cause  that  they  are  awaking 
to  see  that  they  are  their  brother's  keeper.  It 
sounds  a  note  of  hope  that  they  are  catching  the 
passion  for  souls. 

Nemecio  Olguin  is  one  of  our  humble  mem- 
bers. When  the  college  building  was  going  up, 
he  applied  for  work  and  was  assigned  the  task  of 
carrying  brick  and  mortar  for  one  of  the  masons. 
While  he  brought  the  material  up  the  ladder,  he 
seized  every  opportunity  to  tell  the  mason  of  his 
faith  in  Christ.  It  was  all  to  him,  and  why  not 
pass  the  blessing  on  to  a  fellow  man  in  need?  He 
showed  him  his  Bible  at  noon  as  they  rested.  To 
the  mason  it  was  a  new  book,  and  he  was  irre- 
sistibly drawn  to  the  teachings  as  the  simple  be- 
liever talked  to  him  of  the  precious  but  profound 
truths  of  Christ  and  salvation.     The  mason  was 

215 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

invited  to  the  services,  the  Christian  workman  of- 
fering to  go  with  him.  The  gospel  took  hold  of 
him  and  he  continued  to  attend.  He  was  soon 
baptized  and  has  led  a  worthy  life.  He  will  be  one 
of  the  stars  in  the  crown  of  this  unlettered  hod- 
carrier  who  sowed  by  all  waters. 

Don  Jose  Ortiz  had  drifted  into  Texas  and  had 
accumulated  somewhat  of  this  world's  goods.  Life 
was  at  least  comfortable  till  he  gave  his  heart  to 
Christ  and  heard  the  call  to  service.  With  the 
promptness  of  Andrew,  he  followed  and  went  to 
seek  his  brothers  and  sisters.  They  were  far  to 
the  south,  but  he  was  their  debtor,  and  woe  unto 
him  if  he  withheld  from  them  the  good  news  of 
pardon.  Selling  all  his  possessions,  with  his  fam- 
ily he  started  across  the  mountains  in  a  cart  on 
the  journey  of  hundreds  of  miles  to  make  his  home 
with  his  people  and  win  them  for  Christ.  His  ev- 
angelical faith  made  for  him  enemies  on  every 
hand.  Fanaticism  frowned  on  him  and  treated 
him  as  the  offscourings  of  the  social  world.  Work 
became  scarce  and  he  had  to  endure  untold  sacri- 
fices, which  were  patiently  endured  to  be  able  to 
save  some  of  his  people.  Seeing  Him  who  is  in- 
visible, like  Moses  he  endured  the  taunts  and 
sneers,  toiling  and  praying  for  his  mother  and 
brothers  and  sisters.  At  first  they  laughed  and 
made  fun  of  his  religion  without  saints  and  images, 
but  his  quiet,  holy  life  was  a  sermon  preached 
with  irresistible  force,  and  one  by  one  they  were 

216 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 

plucked  as  brands  from  the  burning.  One  even- 
ing he  came  with  his  wife  and  children  in  his  cart, 
saying  that  he  was  on  his  way  back  to  Texas.  He 
had  won  the  mother,  sister  and  three  brothers. 
One  sister  still  barred  the  door  of  her  heart  to  the 
entrance  of  the  Savior  and  he  felt  that  she  had 
grieved  away  the  Spirit.  For  her  there  was  no 
hope.  His  work  was  done  and  he  was  returning 
to  his  former  home  several  hundred  miles  distant. 
Does  not  his  self-denial  and  patient  endurance 
remind  us  of  the  great  apostle  who  made  himself 
all  things  to  all  men  that  thereby  he  might  save 
some? 

The  Loyalty  of  the  Converts  to  the  Evangelical 
Church. 

Recognizing  the  Evangelical  Church  as  the 
young  David  who'  has  snatched  them  from  the 
devouring  jaws  of  the  lion  of  Romanism  and  led 
them  to  the  fold  of  the  great  Shepherd,  there  is 
born  in  their  heart  a  deep  gratitude  for  their  de- 
liverer. They  come  to  love  the  church  that  has 
"opened  their  eyes  and  turned  them  from  dark- 
ness to  light,  and  from  the  power  of  Satan  unto 
God,  that  they  might  receive  the  forgiveness  of 
sins  and  the  inheritance  among  them  that  are 
sanctified  by  the  faith  that  is  in  God."  Freed  from 
the  task-masters  of  Roman  Catholicism,  which, 
with  their  whip-cords  of  anathemas,  drive  them 
to  slavish  fidelity,  they  feel  something  of  Israel's 

217 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

love  for  Mt.  Zion,  where  are  centered  all  their 
hopes  temporal  and  eternal.  There  are  many  who, 
rather  than  forget  the  Jerusalem  of  their  spiritual 
hopes,  would  let  their  right  hand  forget  its  cun- 
ning. 

On  preceding  pages  is  told  the  story  of  the  In- 
dependent movement  that  has  spared  no  energy 
and  expense  to  sow  discord  among  the  members 
of  the  native  church,  and  has  striven  with  cruel 
venom  to  embitter  the  native  mind  against  the 
American  missionary  and  the  ecclesiastical  organ- 
ization that  he  has  come  to  establish  and  nurture 
into  growth.  These  sowers  of  tares  have  reaped 
a  most  disappointing  harvest.  The  Mexican  con- 
verts have  not  forgotten  these  forty  years  of  sacri- 
fice, persecutions  and  unremitting  toil,  the  burden 
and  heat  of  the  day  that  the  Evangelical  Church 
has  borne,  that  they  might  come  out  of  bondage 
into  the  glorious  liberty  of  sons  of  God.  At  Tam- 
pico  and  Cardenas,  the  Independents  have  left  no 
stone  unturned  to  alienate  the  converts  from  the 
church  and  the  missionaries,  but  the  gospel  has 
suffered  little  harm  at  their  hands. 

Don  Pedro  Garcia  and  his  life  will  illustrate. 
From  a  Bible  found  in  a  trash  pile  in  Tampico, 
and  that  had  providentially  fallen  into  his  hands, 
the  gospel  light  broke  upon  his  soul.  At  once  he 
went  to  the  missionary  of  Tampico  for  more  in- 
struction. From  that  interview  he  seemed  a  new 
man,  born  of  the  Spirit.    On  the  altar  of  his  heart 

218 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 

were  kindled  the  fires  of  divine  love,  and  loyalty 
to  the  gospel  cause  became  a  consuming"  flame. 
He  asked  the  missionary  to  go  to  Las  Lomas  del 
Real,  his  native  town,  and  preach  to  them.     Rev. 
P.  Trujillo  went.    But  who  would  offer  their  home 
in  which  the  services  might  be  held  to  bring  upon 
themselves  the  scorn  and  contempt  of  all  for  hav- 
ing sheltered  and  aided  the  hated  Protestants  in 
their    "propaganda"?      Don    Pedro    received   the 
gospel  worker  in  his  home,  which  was  made  the 
headquarters  of  the  gospel  effort.     It  was  an  hour 
that   tested   his  loyalty   to   the   truth.      He  stood 
single-handed  and  alone.     That  night  when  the 
first  service  was  held,  a  mob  gathered  about  the 
door  determined  on  an  uproar  to  drive  the  Prot- 
estants from  the  town.     They  shouted  "Death  to 
the  Protestants"  and  "Long  live  the  Virgin !"  Don 
Pedro  sat  in  his  door  as  the  preacher  began.     He 
saw  the   raging  madness   of  the   mob   and  knew 
their   intent.      Quietly   he   asked   the   minister   to 
take  a  seat  for  a  moment.    He  walked  to  a  drawer 
and  taking  out  a  revolver  he  returned  to  the  door, 
saying,  "All  of  you  are  my  friends  and  you  know 
me.     I  would  do  nothing  rash  or  unwise,  but  my 
house  and  my  friend  within  are  to  be  respected. 
All  are  kindly  invited  to  come  in  and  hear  the 
sermon.     He  who  first  protests  will  be  left  dead  in 
his  tracks."    Turning  to  Rev.  P.  Trujillo,  he  asked 
him  to  proceed.     Throughout  his  village  he  was 
known  as  a  peaceable   citizen,  but  he  loved  the 

219 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

truth  more  than  all  els-e  and  he  was  ready  to  de- 
fend the  Bible  at  all  hazards.  His  coolness  and 
courage  were  enough.  There  was  no  further 
trouble.  For  years  his  home  was  used  as  a  chapel, 
and  there  week  by  week  he  gathered  his  friends 
to  study  the  Bible.  Each  month  the  gospel  work- 
ers coming  to  preach  found  the  prophet's  chamber 
ever  ready.  Early  he  caught  the  spirit  of  David, 
who  longed  to  build  the  tabernacle,  and  began  to 
work  toward  the  erection  of  a  little  chapel.  He 
loved  the  gates  of  Zion  more  than  all  the  dwelling 
places  of  Jacob.  The  chapel  was  almost  finished 
when  a  cyclone  swept  over  the  village  leaving  the 
building  well-nigh  in  ruins,  but  his  love  for  his 
church  never  faltered.  It  was  rebuilt,  and  on  his 
shoulders  fell  almost  the  entire  financial  burden 
that  the  building  called  for.  No  Jew  ever  yearned 
more  tenderly  for  his  Zion  than  this  aged  servant 
longed  for  the  courts  of  the  Most  High.  At  the 
dedication  of  the  chapel  he  prayed,  "Now,  Lord, 
let  thy  servant  depart  in  peace,  for  mine  eyes  have 
seen  Thy  house  in  my  town." 

When  the  lamented  J.  S.  A.  Hunter  with  fail- 
ing health,  returned  to  the  United  States,  with  lit- 
tle hope  of  ever  being  able  to  resume  his  mission- 
ary labors,  there  followed  him  for  three  miles  to- 
ward the  station  the  entire  membership  of  Ciudad 
del  Maiz,  sorrowing  most  of  all  that  they  would 
see  his  face  no  more.  The  heart  of  the  native 
church  beats  true  to  the  missionary  and  to  the 

220 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 

Evangelical    Church.     For    this  reason  our  faith 
catches  a  larger  vision  of  the  final  triumph  of  our 
missionary  endeavor. 
The  Loyalty  of  the  Converts  to  the  Word  of  God. 

"Thus  saith  the  Lord"  is  the  touchstone  that 
settles  all  questions  of  right  and  wrong.  Like  the 
Bereans,  who  searched  diligently  the  Word  of  God 
to  see  if  the  things  taught  by  Paul  were  in  accord 
with  the  mind  of  the  Spirit,  they  endeavor  to 
make  the  Bible  the  infallible  standard  of  their  be- 
liefs and  practices.  At  times  they  fail,  but  most 
of  them  fall  with  their  faces  toward  the  ideal,  and 
rise  with  firmer  faith  in  God  and  a  deeper  devotion 
to  His  Word. 

Dona  Hilaria  of  Rioverde,  strove  to  remember 
the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy.  It  was  her  in- 
flexible rule  to  buy  on  Saturday  all  that  was  need- 
ed for  the  coming  Lord's  day.  One  Saturday 
night  she  found  that  she  had  not  one  cent  for  the 
purchases,  and  it  was  too  late  to  borrow.  She 
would  not  break  the  command  of  the  blessed 
Book  which  was  her  unerring  guide.  The  only 
course  left,  as  she  saw  the  question,  was  to  fast  till 
Monday,  and  that  was  done.  The  husband  of  Sra. 
Apolinar  Cruz  had  no  sympathy  with  the  evangeli- 
cal faith  and  would  often  buy  corn  and  frijoles  on 
the  Sabbath.  She  always  refused  to  eat  that  which 
he  had  bought  on  the  day  which  was  to  be  kept 
holy.  Sotero  Lopez,  a  faithful  member  of  Ciudad 
del  Maiz,  now  gone  to  rest  with  Jesus,  was  told  by 

321 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

his  father  to  go  to  the  plaza  on  the  Sabbath  and 
make  certain  purchases.  He  respectfully  refused 
and  stubbornly  disobeyed  his  father  that  he  might 
obey  his  God.  He  was  carried  before  the  mayor  of 
the  town  to  have  him  severely  punished  for  his  in- 
solent disobedience.  God  moved  upon  the  heart  of 
the  mayor,  as  He  once  stirred  the  spirit  of  Cyrus, 
though  the  Persian  did  not  know  it,  and  the  father 
was  reproved  for  trying  to  drive  the  lad  to  fight 
against  God. 

When  Rev.  G.  Cruz  first  went  to  San  Antonio 
to  preach  the  gospel  he  found  there  a  soothsayer 
of  no  little  fame,  Dn.  Nicanor  Lopez.  He  prac- 
ticed the  curious  arts  as  some  did  in  Ephesus  in 
the  days  of  Paul.  This  had  been  his  trade  for 
years.  The  gospel  gripped  his  soul  and  he  gave 
his  heart  to  Christ.  The  Word  of  God  was  to  be 
his  infallible  guide  book.  He  began  to  read  how 
that  the  anger  of  God  burned  hot  against  the  great 
sin  of  his  life,  and  saw  the  fate  of  those  who  tolerat- 
ed wizards  within  their  borders.  In  the  Sabbath 
School  he  read  of  the  converts  of  Ephesus  who  had 
followed  this  same  nefarious  calling,  how  that  they 
had  made  a  bonfire  of  their  books  on  the  streets 
of  the  city,  abandoning  forever  their  iniquitous 
practice.  His  loyalty  to  the  Word  of  God  was 
such  that  he  at  once  resolved  to  follow  the  example 
of  the  Ephesian  converts.  And  though  his  books 
had  cost  him  fifty  dollars,  which  for  a  man  of  his 
standinii  was  a  little   fortune,  he  burnt  them  all, 

222 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 

quitting  forever  his  former  life  which  the  law  of 
God  had  condemned.  From  his  family  have  come 
two  noble  daughters,  one  our  efficient  trained 
nurse,  Senorita  Teresa  Lopez,  and  the  other  now 
in  charge  of  a  little  evangelical  school  in  Car- 
denas. 

On  a  feast  day,  when  Ciudad  del  Maiz  was 
thronged  with  Roman  Catholics  from  the  sur- 
rounding ranches.  Rev.  J.  S.  A.  Hunter  offered 
Rev.  G.  Cruz  a  box  of  Bibles  to  sell  on  the  public 
square.  The  law  gave  him  the  right  to  sell  Bibles 
as  others  sold  corn.  The  fanatics  were  furious. 
Had  the  Protestants  dared  to  offer  their  accursed 
book  for  sale  right  under  the  shadow  of  their 
church  and  on  their  feast  day?  They  persuaded 
the  fanatical  mayor  of  the  town  to  send  Rev.  Cruz 
to  jail.  Nor  was  he  released  till  the  missionary 
threatened  to  telegraph  the  United  States  Consul 
for  protection.  Did  the  prisoner  of  the  Lord 
count  the  sacrifice  too  great  and  forsake  the  cause 
of  the  grand  old  book  of  salvation?  On  the  con- 
trary, it  intensified  his  zeal  and  he  came  from  the 
prison  more  resolutely  bent  on  carrying  the  Bible 
to  all  the  neighboring  towns  and  talk  its  good 
news  on  all  the  pubHc  squares.  His  unflinching 
loyalty  to  the  Word  of  God  reminds  one  of  the 
weeping  prophet  who,  when  the  wicked  king,  Je- 
hoiachim,  cut  the  roll  in  pieces  and  threw  it  into 
the  flames,  wrote  another  with  added  words,  and 
sent  it  to  the  defiant  monarch. 

223 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

Has  our  faith  in  the  ultimate  evangelization  of 
Mexico  become  faint-hearted  and  downcast?  Do 
we  wonder  if  after  all  it  is  worth  while?  These 
triumphs  of  grace  will  call  back  our  retreating 
faith  and  burn  into  our  hearts  the  buoyant  opti- 
mism of  the  little  drummer  boy  of  Napoleon,  who 
had  forgotten  how  to  beat  a  retreat,  so  sure  was 
he  always  of  victory. 

These  shining  examples  of  godliness  will  assure 
us  that  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of 
God  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ  can  dispel  the  mid- 
night darkness  of  Romanism  and  lead  the  changed 
life  up  the  path  of  the  righteous  man  that  shineth 
more  and  more  unto  the  perfect  day.  These  trans- 
formations of  divine  power  should  fire  our  droop- 
ing courage  with  that  thrill  that  swept  over  Israel 
when  they  looked  upon  the  grapes  of  Eschol  which 
the  spies  had  brought  from  the  highland  of  Heb- 
ron, They  were  pledges  of  that  land  that  flowed 
with  milk  and  honey,  and  these  transformations  of 
grace  are  unmistakable  earnests  of  those  larger 
harvests  that  await  us  if  we  will  only  go  up  and 
possess  the  land.  If  the  efforts  of  faith  have 
digged  from  the  hole  of  the  pit  these  rare  stones 
which  have  been  ihewn,  fashioned  and  pK>lished  by 
the  Spirit's  inworking,  why  may  we  not  set  our 
hearts  on  tens  of  thousands  that  will  stand  at  last 
pillars  in  the  temple  of  the  King,  not  made  with 
hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens? 

224 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 

Watchman,  what  of  the  nig^ht?  Stand  upon  the 
watchtower  of  faith  and  the  spiritual  signs  upon 
our  missionary  horizon  are  clear.  The  days  of 
idolatry  in  Mexico  are  numbered.  It  will  yet 
share  the  severe  fate  of  Dagon,  the  god  of  the 
Philistines,  whom  his  devotees  dared  to  set  up  face 
to  face  with  the  ark  of  the  Lord  God  of  Hosts.  The 
god  fell  headlong  to  the  floor.  Our  God  will 
brook  no  rival.  Mexico's  millions  of  idols  must 
soon  fall  shattered  to  earth  by  the  dynamic  power 
of  the  Christ  lifted  up  on  Calvary,  that  He  might 
draw  all  men  from  their  gods  of  wood  and  stone 
to  Him  who  alone  is  the  hope  of  the  sinning  and 
the  suffering.  The  eye  of  faith  can  see  the  first 
grey  streaks  that  play  upon  the  eastern  horizon, 
forerunners  of  the  morning  light  to  be  ushered  in 
by  the  rising  of  the  Sun  of  righteousness  with 
healing  in  His  wings.    The  morning  cometh. 


«2S 


CHAPTER  XII. 

OUR  RESPONSIBILITY. 

Paul  was  debtor  to  the  Gentile  world,  and  the 
conviction  fired  his  soul  with  a  zeal  that  leaped 
over  Alpine  heights,  defying  his  passage,  and 
crossed  streams  of  difficulty  that  would  have  dis- 
mayed souls  of  smaller  mould.  His  responsibility 
to  the  nations  that  sat  in  the  shadows  of  spiritual 
night,  lay  upon  his  heart  with  leaden  weight,  and 
he  strove  with  all  his  might  to  meet  the  obligation. 

We  are  debtors  to  Mexico.  The  Providence  of 
God  has  placed  on  our  shoulders  the  respK>nsibil- 
ity.    We  are  our  brother's  keeper. 

I.     The   Responsibility  of  Proximity. 

From  the  very  beginning  the  Master  missionary 
outlined  the  plan  of  the  world-wide  campaign, 
marking  most  clearly  the  lines  along  which  it  was 
to  proceed.  "Ye  shall  be  witnesses  unto  Me,  both 
in  Jerusalem,  and  in  all  Judea,  and  in  Samaria,  and 
unto  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth."  The  holy 
city  was  to  be  the  center  of  the  movement  that 
was  to  encompass  the  earth.  From  this  great 
nerve  center  the  apostles  were  to  proceed  in  the 
order  of  proximity.  From  Judea  they  were  to  go 
into  the  white  harvest  fields  of  Samaria.  They 
dare  not  leap  beyond  the  bounds  of  Samaria  and 
hasten  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth.  They 
rrvust  go  to  the  hated  Samaritans  and  gather  out 
from  them  a  people   for  His  name.     Only  then 

226 


RESPONSIBILITIES. 

were  they  at  liberty  to  cross  the  seas  or  to  go  over 
the  deserts  to  Babylon.  Shall  we  invert  the  divine 
marching  orders? 

Beginning  at  Jerusalem,  it  is  well  to  evangehze 
the  homeland  till  King  Jesus  is  crowned  Lord  of 
lords.  Hordes  of  immigrants  are  pouring  into 
the  country  on  the  east  and  on  the  west,  lacking 
the  better  elements  of  civic  righteousness  and  woe- 
fully lacking  in  all  that  goes  to  make  up  a  man 
four  square.  It  is  the  white  man's  burden  to  teach 
them  the  things  that  make  for  peace  and  eternal 
righteousness.  Millions  of  free  men  are  scattered 
over  the  South  waiting  for  the  bread  of  life, 
whose  need-cry  is  carried  on  almost  every  wind 
that  blows  up  from  the  sea.  The  apostles  first 
gave  the  gospel  to  Judea,  and  the  Evangelical 
Church  of  the  United  States  may  not  slight  these 
unchurched  multitudes  at  their  very  doors.  And 
if  the  Church  would  be  true  to  the  divine  commis- 
sion, she  must  not  stop  short  of  the  evangelization 
of  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth.  A  million  a 
month  are  dying  in  China.  They  go  to  the  bar 
of  the  offended  God  to  learn  for  the  first  time  that 
the  Son  of  God  died  to  atone  for  their  offenses, 
yet  the  Church  with  the  good  news  of  pardon  in 
her  hands  sleeps  while  the  condemned  throngs  go 
silent  to  their  eternal  doom.  Under  the  shadows 
of  the  Himalayas  and  in  the  Sudan  thousands  are 
waiting  for  the  gospel,  while  Christians  busy  them- 
selves  with   things   as  trifling  as   gathering  wild 

227 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

flowers  by  the  way  and  the  sheep  perish  far  from 
the  fold  of  the  great  Shepherd.  "Beginning  at 
Jerusalem.  .  .  .and  unto  the  uttermost  parts  of  the 
earth." 

But  let  us  not  forget,  oh  let  us  not  forget  that 
between  these  two,  Judea  and  the  uttermost  parts 
of  the  earth,  lies  Samaria,  whose  claim  precedes 
those  of  the  uttermost  parts.  Mexico  is  Samaria. 
She  is  our  next  door  neighbor,  only  a  river  runs 
between.  And  if  the  Church  of  the  United  States 
would  follow  the  divine  order  of  the  great  com- 
mission, there  should  be  given  Mexico,  forces  of 
evangelization  capable  of  making  Christ  known 
to  this  generation,  before  the  Foreign  Mission 
Boards  set  their  faces  toward  the  salvation  of  the 
far-away  land  of  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth. 
It  is  not  claimed  that  the  Church  should  wait  for 
the  complete  conversion  of  the  Republic.  Only 
that  missionaries  and  missionary  equipment  be 
sent  such  as  can  within  reasonable  expectations 
evangelize  the  land  in  this  generation. 
2.     The  Failure  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church. 

For  three  hundred  years  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  has  been  on  trial  in  Mexico.  Providence 
has  favored  her  with  every  opportunity  to  show 
the  world  what  her  religious  system  can  do  toward 
the  spiritual  betterment  of  the  people.  First  of 
all,  the  Spanish  conquerors  struck  the  deadly 
blow  at  Aztec  idolatry,  demoHshing  the  heathen 
teocalis  or  temples  right  and  left  as  they  marched 

228 


RESPONSIBILITIES. 

through  the  land  subjugating  the  natives,  north, 
south,  east  and  west.  It  was  a  promised  land, 
rid  of  all  its  Canaanites  and  open  for  possession  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts  and  of  the  gospel. 
For  three  centuries  the  reins  of  governmental  con- 
trol were  in  the  hands  of  the  ecclesiastical  authori- 
ties. The  Church  and  State  were  one,  till  the  Re- 
form laws  were  passed,  under  the  leadership  of 
Juarez.  Thus  the  Church  was  in  no  way  hampered 
by  civil  enactments  which  might  have  thwarted 
any  plans  proposed  for  the  evangelization  of  the 
land.  To  no  earthly  potentate  was  the  Church 
amenable.  Could  an  opportunity  more  golden 
have  been  wished? 

Nor  did  they  lack  means.  When  their  property 
was  confiscated  by  the  passage  of  the  Reform  laws, 
the  value  of  the  churches  and  real  estate  was  esti- 
mated to  be  $300,000,000,  from  which  they  deriv- 
ed an  annual  income  of  $30,000,000.*  Archbishop 
Montufar  wrote  to  Spain  how  that  the  priests  "em- 
ployed relays  of  five  hundred  to  a  thousand  men, 
and  without  wages  or  a  mouthful  of  bread  to  eat, 
the  men  being  rounded  up  for  four,  six  and  twelve 
leagues."t  Magnificent  cathedrals  were  erected 
all  over  the  country  at  no  cost  to  the  Church,  and 
buildings  of  a  private  character,  which  accounts 
for  the  vast  quantity  of  real  estate  held  by  the 
Catholics. 

What  is  the  result  of  Romish  efforts  in  Mexico? 

•Mexico  Coming  Into  the  Light,   J.  W.  Butler,  page   57. 
tLatln  America,  H.  W.  Brown,  page  87. 

229 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

Abbe  Domelech,  an  envoy  sent  by  the  pope  to  re- 
port on  the  condition  of  the  Church  in  Mexico, 
confessed,  "The  Mexican  faith  is  a  dead  faith.  The 
abuse  of  external  ceremonies,  the  facility  of  recon- 
ciling the  devil  with  God,  the  absence  of  internal 
exercises  of  piety,  have  killed  the  faith  in  Mexico. 
It  is  vain  to  seek  good  fruit  from  the  worthless 
tree  which  makes  the  religion  the  singular  assem- 
blage of  heartless  devotion,  shameful  ignorance, 
insane  superstition  and  hideous  vice.  The  wor- 
ship of  saints  and  madonnas  so  absorbs  the  devo- 
tion of  the  people  that  little  time  is  left  to  think 
about  God."* 

This  severe  arraignment  is  fully  borne  out  by 
the  facts  of  the  preceding  chapters.  ROME  HAS 
FAILED  IN  MEXICO.  She  has  been  weighed 
in  the  balances  and  found  wanting.  The  gross 
ignorance  of  the  fundamental  principles  of  Chris- 
tianity, the  abounding  superstition,  the  blind  fan- 
aticism, the  blunted  moral  sense,  the  low  moral 
standard  among  the  common  people,  the  Christ- 
less  externalism  of  the  Church,  their  mad  devotion 
to  saint  worship,  its  mammonism,  the  corrupted 
priesthood,  its  demoniacal  opposition  to  the  light 
of  the  Bible, — these  things  speak  with  trumpet 
tongue  and  bear  faithful  testimony  that  ROME 
HAS  FAILED  IN  MEXICO. 

And  more.  The  glaring  corruption  of  the  Ro- 
man Catholic  Church  is  driving  multitudes  from 

•Mexico  and  the  United  States,   G.   D.   Abbott,   page   203. 
230 


RESPONSIBILITIES. 

her  folds.  Inevitably  they  become  a  prey  to  infi- 
delity and  all  its  kindred  evils.  Cutting  themselves 
aloof  from  the  Romish  faith  and  finding  no  other 
port  of  spiritual  safety  near,  they  set  out  for  the 
high  seas  of  liberalism  and  become  the  most  hope- 
less subjects  for  the  gospel  workers.  They  become 
dead  to  all  appeals.  Religious  sentiment  seems  to 
shrivel  up  and  die,  leaving  the  soul  a  victim  to  free 
thought,  which  means  no  heaven,  no  hell,  no  God 
and  no  accountability.  It  is  the  seven  spirits  that 
returned  to  the  house  from  which  they  had  gone 
out,  they  find  it  swept  of  all  reHgion,  empty  and 
garnished.  They  take  with  themselves  seven  other 
spirits  more  wicked  than  themselves,  and  the  last 
state  of  the  soul  is  worse  than  at  the  first,  when 
the  youth  stepped  forth  into  the  sphere  of  re- 
sponsibility without  God. 

Mexico  is  without  spiritual  guides.  And  the 
destitution,  far  more  vocal  than  the  call  of  words, 
pleads  with  the  appeal  of  a  Macedonian  cry  for 
help.  Shall  we  leave  them  to  the  mercy  of  the 
false  shepherds?  Shall  we  leave  them  without 
chart  or  compass  to  drift  on  the  high  seas  of  god- 
lessness  and  hopelessness?  Shall  we  deny  them 
the  anchor  of  our  gospel  that  will  save  their  bark 
from  the  reefs  and  rocks  that  will  surely  dash 
them  to  death  and  to  doom? 

3.     The  Responsibility  of  An  Open  Door. 

That  noble  missionary,  Xavier,  who  went  like  a 
flaming  torch  from  land  to  land,  came  at  last  to 

231 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

the  walled  kingdom  of  China,  and  lying  on  a  bed 
of  fever,  looked  up  at  the  great  wall  that  shut  out 
all  gospel  efifort  by  governmental  edict,  cried,  ''Oh 
rock,  rock,  when  wilt  thou  open  to  my  Master." 
Not  many  years  have  passed  since  a  wall  just  as 
impregnable  reared  itself  defiantly  in  the  face  of 
the  gospel  messengers,  and  said  that  to  the  Rio 
Grande  they  might  come  and  no  farther.  Prior 
to  the  promulgation  of  the  Reform  laws,  all  gospel 
effort  was  strictly  forbidden.  The  reins  of  power 
were  in  the  hands  of  the  bishops  and  archbishops, 
and  the  iron  arm  of  law  was  stretched  forth  to 
make  the  Catholic  faith  supreme  and  gospel  work- 
ers guilty  of  death.  The  fires  of  the  Inquisition 
were  kept  burning  for  the  gospel  heretics,  and 
2302  were  burned  because  they  sought  light.  The 
sale  and  reading  of  the  Bible  were  placed  under 
the  ban  of  condemnation  by  enactments  more 
stringent  than  those  of  the  States  that  forbid  the 
transportation  of  obscene  literature.  And  even 
after  the  Reform  laws  lifted  the  ban  and  made  the 
gospel  welcome,  mad  fanaticism  lurking  away  in 
the  corners  of  the  land  beyond  the  reach  of  law, 
has  left  a  long  list  of  martyrs.  Patriots  like  Hid- 
^&o>  Juarez  and  a  host  of  unnamed  heroes  bore 
their  breasts  to  the  storm  of  leaden  rain  and  hoist- 
ed the  banner  of  religious  freedom.  Brave  martyrs 
have  paid  for  their  convictions  with  the  price  of 
blood  and  have  made  liberty  of  conscience  a  liv- 
ing fact  for  all  who  would  walk  in  the  unfettered 

232 


RESPONSIBILITIES. 

freedom  of  the  Son  of  God.  They  have  opened 
the  doors  and  the  gospel  herald  is  safe  to  go  with 
Bible  in  hand.  Shall  we  hold  in  Hght  esteem  this 
opportunity  so  dearly  bought?  Gospel  forerun- 
ners have  opened  the  doors,  shall  we  enter?  Shall 
we  learn  the  lesson  of  the  sculptor  who  carved  out 
of  stone  the  god  of  opportunity  with  her  face 
covered  with  hair,  because  men  so  seldom  recog- 
nize her  coming,  and  attached  wings  to  her  feet 
because  she  does  not  tarry  long?  Today  the  gates 
are  open  wide,  tomorrow  they  may  be  shut,  for 
liberalism  and  free  thought  will  have  entered  and 
taken  possession  of  the  land  for  the  prince  of  dark- 
ness. Truly  we  are  Philadelphians  of  opportunity. 
Shall  we  prove  Laodiceans  of  lukewarmness? 

4.     Providence  is  Leading  the  Way. 

With  no  thought  of  popish  infallibility,  we  ac- 
cept the  call  of  the  Church  as  the  call  of  God. 
From  the  year  1878,  when  the  Synod  first  resolved 
to  open  the  Mexican  Mission,  through  the  years 
it  has  ratified  its  action  at  every  one  of  its  thirty- 
one  annual  meetings.  Not  once  has  that  ecclesi- 
astical body  afifirmed  its  lack  of  faith  in  fhe  leading 
of  the  Head  of  the  Church.  .Rather  it  has  repeat- 
edly affirmed  its  confidence  that  the  Lord  of  hosts 
is  with  us  in  our  missionary  campaign,  sending  out 
missionaries  from  time  to  time.  He  has  placed 
the  seal  and  stamp  of  His  approval  upon  the  work. 
He  has  opened  doors,  and  has  been  the  help  and 

233 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

inspiration  of  the  missionaries,  giving  them  hun- 
dreds of  souls  for  their  hire. 

Does  not  the  Master's  leading  call  for  loyal 
following?  When  the  pillar  of  cloud  began  its 
majestic  forward  movement  from  above  the  camp 
of  the  nation  and  from  all  quarters  sounded  the 
silver  trumpets  which  every  Israelite  understood 
as  the  divine  signal  for  marching,  the  millions  at 
once  struck  their  tents  and  pushed  out  into  the 
trackless  desert,  following  the  Lord  of  Hosts. 
When  the  Spirit  forbade  the  ajKDStle  to  enter  By- 
thinia  on  the  right  hand,  and  Mysia  on  the  left, 
he  went  straight  forward  to  the  coast  where  he 
caught  the  vision  of  the  man  from  Macedonia  beg- 
ging him  to  come  over  and  help.  Assuredly  gath- 
ering that  the  Lord  had  called  him,  and  without 
faltering  he  crossed  the  Hellespont  and  planted 
the  cross  in  pagan  Greece.  No  less  clear  than  the 
quiet  march  of  the  cloud,  the  ringing  call  of  the 
silver  trumpets  or  the  secret  stirrings  of  the  Spirit, 
is  the  providential  call  of  God  that  our  Church 
undertake  on  a  worthy  scale  the  evangelization  of 
Mexico.     Shall  we  follow  His  leading? 

5.     The  Responsibility  of  a   National   Debt. 

Mexico  looks  to  the  United  States  for  her  spir- 
itual regeneration.  When  the  noble  Juarez  was 
persecuted  by  the  demagogue,  Santa  Anna,  and 
driven  from  his  native  land,  he  reached  New  Or- 
leans. There  he  studied  the  underlying  principles 
of  our  free  institutions,  and  after  their  spirit  he 

234 


RESPONSIBILITIES. 

framed  laws  that  have  led  the  country  along  the 
ways  of  amazing  prosperity.  When  the  French, 
under  the  false  pretense  of  collecting  certain  pri- 
vate financial  obligations  of  their  subjects,  entered 
the  country,  hoisted  their  flag  over  the  capital  and 
placed  Maximilian,  an  Austrian  prince,  on  the 
throne,  it  was  a  voice  from  Washington  that  spoke 
to  the  government  at  Paris,  demanding  the  with- 
drawal of  their  forces  from  the  land,  leaving  the 
nation  free  and  sovereign  once  more.  American 
capital  is  pouring  into  the  country,  bringing  ma- 
terial for  the  development  of  its  mining  industry, 
the  construction  of  railroads,  introducing  modern 
methods  of  agriculture,  importing  American  ma- 
chinery of  all  kinds. 

Great  has  been  our  contribution  to  the  material 
and  intellectual  progress  of  the  country.  Shall  we 
withhold  our  spiritual  help,  that  of  which  the 
American  nation  should  be  proudest?  We  throw 
about  Mexico  the  shield  of  the  Monroe  Doctrine, 
and  say  to  the  foreign  powers  that  no  other  flag 
shall  float  over  Chapultepec,  their  proud  Capital. 
This  is  well.  It  is  nothing  less  than  the  stronger 
brother  yielding  to  the  dictates  of  duty  toward  the 
weaker.  But  shall  we  leave  them  an  easy  prey  to 
the  deadly  enemies  of  superstition,  infidelity,  ig- 
norance, bigotry  and  the  long  attendant  train  of 
evils  far  more  to  be  dreaded  than  the  usurpation 
of  power  at  the  hand  of  a  foreign  nation?  While 
we  aid  them  in  thrusting  the  foreign  invaders  from 

235 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

their  shores,  shall  we  not  offer  them  the  gospel  of 
the  Son  of  God,  which  alone  can  make  men  free, 
and  without  which  all  are  fettered  slaves?  While 
the  United  States  makes  her  contribution  of  a  free 
press  and  free  institutions,  shall  we  fail  to  give 
them  the  Word  of  God  on  which  all  our  civil  in- 
stitutions are  founded  and  without  which  our  su- 
perstructure of  civic  righteousness  would  be  but 
a  frail  house  built  on  the  shifting  sand?  Stirred 
by  our  example  of  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence that  vested  the  United  States  with  the  author- 
ity to  stand  in  the  council  chamber  of  the  sover- 
eign nations  of  the  world,  Mexico  rose  up  in  the 
might  of  eternal  liberty  and  burst  asunder  the 
shackels  that  had  bound  them  for  centuries.  Shall 
we  now  withhold  from  them  our  pattern  of  the 
kingdom  of  heaven?  Daniel  Webster  spoke  more 
wisely  than  he  knew,  when  he  said,  "Our  greatest 
danger  is  that  we  have  to  the  south  of  us  a  sister 
nation  in  almost  mortal  agony,  and  no  one 
amongst  us  seems  to  be  willing  to  lend  a  helping 
hand." 

6.     We   Have   Laid   Our   Hands  to  the   Plow   and 
Must   Not  Turn  Back. 

For  thirty-one  years  the  Church  has  directed 
its  missionary  agencies  toward  the  evangelization 
of  our  field  in  Mexico.  Men  and  money  have 
been  sent  to  the  front  of  the  firing  line.  The  mis- 
sionaries are  giving  themselves  to  the  work  with 

236 


RESPONSIBILITIES. 

unstinted  devotion,  and  not  a  few  sleep  in  Mexican 
graves.  Prayers  have  been  ascending  from  family 
altars  over  the  Synod  for  these  score  and  a  half 
of  years.  We  have  been  laying  the  foundations  of 
a  spiritual  temple,  which  fitly  framed,  is  growing 
together  in  the  Lord.  Shall  we  leave  a  supply  of 
men  utterly  inadequate  to  rear  the  walls  of  the 
building  and  expect  a  worthy  structure  not  to  be 
ashamed  of  at  His  coming?  We  have  entered  the 
white  harves-t  fields  of  Mexico  and  have  committed 
ourselves  to  the  evangelization  of  706,799  souls. 
Shall  we  expect  four  missionaries  and  eight  native 
men  to  reap  the  harvests  of  these  wide,  wide 
regions?  We  have  carried  the  war  into  the  en- 
emy's country,  storming  their  citadels  of  power, 
and  now  that  the  opposition  is  stubborn  and  the 
spoils  not  so  remunerative,  sliall  we  fail  to  send 
the  needed  recruits  to  insure  a  glorious  victory 
for  our  Lord?  Would  we  be  true  to  the  men  and 
women  on  the  field  to  place  on  their  shoulders  the 
heavy,  unreasonable  task  of  evangelizing  716,457 
souls?  Would  we  be  true  to  these  souls  whose 
weal  or  woe  is  in  our  hands?  Would  we  be  true 
to  Him  who  has  assigned  to  us  the  taking  of  this 
wing  of  the  line  of  the  enemy?  Would  we  be  true 
to  ourselves  to  leave  half  finis'hed  this  work  already 
begun? 

On  Calton  hill  there  stands  a  half-finished  struc- 
ture that  overlooks  the  Scotch  Athens.  It  was 
modeled  after  the  Greek    Parthenon,    the    finest 

237 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

specimen  of  ancient  architecture,  that  crowning 
glory  of  the  classic  city  of  Pericles,  and  was  de- 
signed to  perpetuate  the  undying  memory  of  those 
who  stood  like  a  breakwater  against  the  rolling 
tide  of  Napoleon's  popularity  at  Waterloo  and 
checked  it  forever.  It  was  a  most  worthy  cause, 
and  a  magnificent  monument  planned;  but  alas, 
there  it  stands,  an  occasion  for  mockers  to  laugh 
at,  the  ambition  of  those  whose  plans  were  too 
much  for  their  resources.  Fierce  rebuke  to  the 
vacillating  and  the  unstable.  Shall  that  be  the  ver- 
dict of  future  generations  as  they  look  on  our  ef- 
forts for  the  redemption  of  our  part  of  the  Mexi- 
can field?  "This  man  began  to  build,  but  was  not 
able  to  finish."  It  must  be  so  unless  we  rally  to 
the  help  of  the  Lord  against  the  mighty,  and 
triple  and  quadruple  our  forces  so  as  to  be  able 
to  prosecute  to  a  worthy  conclusion  the  missionary 
plans  outlined  by  our  great  and  godly  forefathers 
for  a  grand  structure  on  Mexican  soil  that  would 
lift  its  head  high  above  the  mist  of  the  ages  and 
tell  unborn  generations  that  we  were  true  to  the 
thousands  committed  tO'  our  spiritual  keeping. 
Will  we  leave  our  work  half  finished? 


238 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

FORWARD. 

"Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel  that  they  go 
forward."  Not  less  clear  and  commanding  is  that 
voice  that  rings  with  the  emphasis  of  a  clarion 
call  to  duty  as  we  face  the  evangelization  of  our 
Mexican  field.  "The  King's  business  requireth 
haste." 

I.     Larger  Visions. 

That  prince  of  early  missionaries,  who  literally 
burned  out  for  his  Lord,  used  to  catch  the  visions 
of  the  nations  redeemed  and  prostrate  at  the  feet 
of  Jesus;  and  he  was  wont  to  cry  out,  "Yet  more, 
oh  my  God,  yet  more :  more  sufiferings,  more  hard- 
ships, more  scourgings  for  Thy  name,  more  sick- 
nesses, more  deaths  if  Thou  wilt  grant  me  more 
souls.  Yet  more,  oh  my  God,  yet  more."  Let  us 
catch  the  vision  of  our  field  evangelized  and  souls 
redeemed  from  the  demons  of  idolatry,  clothed  in 
their  right  mind  and  sitting  at  the  feet  of  Jesus, 
brought  under  the  spell  of  that  name  that  is  above 
every  name,  and  our  faith  will  inspire  us  on  over 
all  opposition  with  the  consuming  zeal  of  a  Xavier. 

We  have  looked  at  Roman  Catholicism  in  Mex- 
ico, not  less  idolatrous  than  the  worship  of  Baal, 
against  which  the  prophets  hurled  their  fiery  de- 
nunciations for  centuries,  or  the  fetish  worshippers 
of  the  jungles  of  Africa,  who  press  the  tiny  wood- 

239 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

en  god  to  their  bosom  with  the  fond  caresses  of 
a  deep  passion;  we  have  seen  the  strange  supersti- 
tions of  the  masses  who  will  put  their  trust  in  a 
stone  or  piece  of  wood  that  chanced  to  bear  the 
likeness  of  a  face,  taking  unto  themselves  the  con- 
solation that  it  is  the  photograph  of  a  saint  who 
can  hear  and  heed  their  prayers;  we  have  seen  the 
bitter  enmity  toward  the  gospel  that  has  with  fire 
and  faggot  striven  to  burn  all  who  would  follow 
the  gospel  of  our  only  Savior,  Jesus  Christ;  we 
have  seen  the  power  of  Rome  over  her  devotees 
as  she  drives  with  the  whipcords  of  the  threats  of 
excommunication,  more  slavishly  than  the  task- 
masters did  in  Pharaoh's  day;  we  have  seen  the 
walls  of  fanaticism  as  impregnable  as  those  of  Jer- 
icho over  which  the  gospel  herald  must  pass  to 
possess  the  land  for  God.  Have  these  revelations 
filled  us  with  dismay?  Are  we  ready  to  shrink 
back  with  the  ten  spies  who  had  seen  the  Canaan- 
itish  giants  intrenched  in  their  cities  walled  up  to 
heaven?  Let  us  catch  the  vision  of  Caleb  and 
Joshua.  "Let  us  go  up  and  pKDssess  it,  for  we  are 
well  able  to  overcome  it."  Their  God  was  might- 
ier than  idols.  "They  that  be  with  us  are  far  more 
than  they  that  be  with  them."  By  the  vital  faith 
of  a  trumpet  blast  and  a  forward  march,  these  Jer- 
icho walls  will  fall  and  obstacles  formidable  as  Jor- 
dan's swollen  streams  will  part  to  let  us  pass.  A 
larger  faith  in  our  God  and  the  final  outcome  of 
our  efforts,  is  the  crying  need  of  the  hour. 

240 


FORWARD. 

2.     Larger  Love  for  Souls. 

The  Lord  is  gathering  that  great  multitude 
which  no  man  can  number,  of  all  nations  and  kin- 
dreds and  peoples  and  tongues.  They  are  to  stand 
before  the  throne  and  before  the  Lamb  clothed 
with  white  robes  and  with  palms  in  their  hands. 
Of  the  millions  now  bowed  under  the  thraldom  of 
Roman  Catholicism  there  are  many  who  might  be- 
come partakers  of  this  inheritance  of  the  saints  in 
light.  Of  the  souls  of  our  field  who  knows  how 
many  mig^ht  go  to  the  mansions  of  the  Father's 
house  prepared  for  those  who  believe  on  His  Son. 
Shall  we  deny  them  this  blessedness?  They  hun- 
ger for  the  living  and  true  God,  evidenced  by  the 
intense  religiousness  that  makes  them  bow  to 
stocks  and  stones.  Shall  we  deny  them  the  glory 
o'f  the  beatific  vision  and  the  bhss  of  serving  Him 
forever  and  ever?  They  hunger  for  the  bread  of 
life.  Shall  we  leave  them  to  their  pain  through 
that  long  night  of  eternal  blackness  that  will  never 
dawn  into  morning  light? 

And  if  we  do  not  preach  them  the  truth  of 
Christ,  then  who  will?  The  Providence  of  God 
has  marked  off  this  field  and  given  to  us  the  im- 
perative duty  of  its  evangelization.  To  whom  but 
to  us  can  they  stretch  their  hands  imploring  help? 
If  these  thousands  ever  come  to  taste  the  good- 
ness of  God  and  be  satisfied  with  the  fullness  of 
joy  in  His  presence,  it  must  be  through  the  efforts 
of   our   denomination.      There   are   no   others   to 

241 

11-16 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

open  the  prison  doors  and  lead  them  out  into  the 
glorious  liberty  of  Christ,  no  others  to  proclaim 
to  them  that  the  great  year  of  the  gospel  jubilee 
has  come  through  the  atonement  of  the  Lamb  of 
God. 

Give  me  Thy  heart,  oh  Christ,  Thy  love  untold. 
That  I  like  Thee  may  pity,  like  Thee  may  preach 
For  round  me  spreads  on  every  side  a  waste 
Drearer  than  that  which  moved  Thy  soul  to  sadness. 
No  ray  hath  pierced  this  immemorial  gloom 
And  scarce  these  darkened  toiling  myriads  taste 
Even  a  few  drops  of  fleeting  earthly  gladness 
As  they  move  on  slow,  silent  to  the  tomb. 

3.     Larger  Reinforcements. 

The  National  Missionary  Conference,  which 
met  in  Chicago,  May  3-6,  1910,  composed  of  4,146 
delegates,  representing  the  laymen  of  the  Christian 
Church  of  the  United  States,  afifirmed,  "We  accept 
as  a  working  policy  the  standard  that  in  addition 
to  the  native  agencies,  there  should  be  provided 
from  the  churches  of  Christian  lands  an  average  of 
at  least  one  missionary  to  every  twenty-five  thou- 
sand of  the  people  to  be  evangelized." 

Mr.  J.  R,  Mott,  one  of  the  sanest  and  most 
thorough  students  of  Missions,  states  that,  "the 
leading  authorities  on  all  mission  fields  have  been 
asked  to  estimate  how  many  missionaries,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  native  force,  would  be  required  to  so 
lead  the  missionary  enterprise  as  to  accomplish  the 
evangelization  of  those  countries  within  a  genera- 
tion.    The  highest  number  suggested  by  any  one 

242 


FORWARD. 

is  one  missionary  to  every  10,000  of  the  heathen 
population.  Few  gave  a  lower  estimate  than  one 
to  every  100,000.  The  number  most  frequently 
mentioned  is  one  to  every  20,000.  The  average 
number  given  is  one  to  every  50,000."* 

Between  the  statement  of  the  National  Mis- 
sionary Conference  to  the  efifect  that  the  evangeh- 
zation  of  the  world  in  this  generation  calls  for  one 
foreign  missionary  to  every  25,000  souls,  and  the 
estimate  of  the  foreign  missionaries  themselves 
that  the  speedy  evangelization  of  the  world  de- 
mands one  missionary  to  every  50,000,  let  us  take 
the  average,  which  is  one  to  every  37,500  souls, 
and  calculate  our  need  of  reinforcement  on  that 
conservative  basis.  Our  Mexican  field  has  a  popu- 
lation of  706,799.  To  equip  the  missionary  forces 
with  one  foreign  missionary  to  every  37,500  would 
call  for  19  foreign  workers.  AT  PRESENT  WE 
HAVE  ONLY  FOUR  ON  THE  FIELD. 

To  institute  a  comparison.  The  state  of  South 
CaroHna  has  an  area  of  30,370  square  miles,  while 
our  Mission  field  comprises  31,221  square  miles. 
According  to  the  census  of  1900  the  white  popula- 
tion of  South  Carolina  numbered  557,807,  while 
706,799  souls  are  found  on  our  Mission  field.  Thus 
the  state  of  South  Carolina  could  be  placed  on  our 
field  and  fail  to  cover  the  entire  territory,  while  her 
population  is  one-fifth  less  than  the  number  of 
souls  for  whose  evangelization  we  are  responsible 

•The  Evangelization  of  the  World  in  this  Generation.  Mott. 
page   162. 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

in  Mexico.  Let  us  compare  the  provision  made 
for  the  spiritual  needs  of  these  two  sections.  With- 
in the  bounds  of  South  Carolina  1025  ministers  are 
laboring  to  effect  the  complete  evangelization  of 
the  white  race  of  the  state,  with  2322  organized 
churches  rallying  to  their  help.  (Handbook  of 
South  Carolina,  E.  J.  Watson,  page  604.) 

To  accomplish  that  identical  work  for  our  Mexi- 
can field  with  a  greater  population,  are  employed 
four  foreign  missionaries  and  eight  native  preach- 
ers. THESE  TWELVE  MEN  ARE  EXPECT- 
ED TO  DO  FOR  OUR  MISSION  FIELD  EX- 
ACTLY WHAT  THE  1025  ARE  TO  DO  FOR 
THE  42  COUNTIES  OF  SOUTH  CAROLINA. 
Is  it  possible?    Is  it  reasonable?  Is  it  worthy  of  us? 

But  the  comparison  is  entirely  superficial.  The 
facilities  for  reaching  the  people  are  not  the  same. 
In  all  our  mission  field  there  are  only  two  rail- 
roads, while  over  the  counties  of  South  Carolina 
are  to  be  found  a  network  of  railway  lines.  The 
missionaries  meet  the  most  bitter  opposition,  while 
throughout  the  above  named  state  the  people  are  at 
least  favorably  disposed  toward  the  gospel  and 
heartily  welcome  the  minister  into  their  homes. 
To  make  the  comparison  compare  we  must  enter 
all  the  thousands  of  homes  of  those  2322  churches 
and  tear  down  the  family  altars  and  counteract  all 
gospel  influences,  obliterate  the  schools  where  are 
taught  the  fundamental  principles  of  the  Word  of 
God,  burn  all  the  Bibles,  demolish  all  the  printing 

244 


FORWARD. 

presses  that  issue  millions  of  copies  of  evangelical 
periodicals,  convert  the  Sabbath  into  a  holiday, 
make  one-half  of  the  people  ignorant  even  of  the 
alphabet,  fill  their  minds  with  the  most  stupefying 
superstitions,  and  change  all  to  idolaters  bowing 
down  to  stocks  and  stones.  Then  the  1025  min- 
isters would  confront  a  task  somewhat  similar  to 
that  which  the  Church  has  laid  upon  the  shoulders 
of  us  twelve.  Does  it  not  look  as  if  we  were  play- 
ing with  this  great  duty  of  evangelizing  these 
706,799  souls  of  our  field? 

If  it  be  said  that  those  of  South  Carolina  are 
our  fellow  citizens,  and  for  that  reason  our  debt 
to  them  is  more  binding,  let  us  remind  ourselves 
that  we  have  undertaken  to  give  Mexico  the  same 
gospel  with  its  unspeakably  great  blessings  of  di- 
vine grace.  And  if  we  pretend  to  ofifer  both  fields 
the  same  evangel  of  pardon  and  peace  and  power, 
and  in  addition  to  these,  the  necessary  means  to 
attain  to  these  supreme  goals  of  human  desire,  is 
it  just  to  assign  1025  to  one  field  and  12  to  the 
other,  knowing  that  the  latter  field  is  beset  with 
difficulties  such  as  are  never  seen  at  home?  Mak- 
ing all  due  allowance  for  the  fact  that  these  seven- 
teen counties  are  our  own  people,  bone  of  our  bone 
and  flesh  of  our  fiesh,  does  not  the  proportion  of 
1025  workers  to  12  pass  beyond  the  bounds  of  any- 
thing reasonable? 

At  least  give  the  field  eight  foreign  mission- 
aries and  increase   the   force   each  year  till  it  is 

245 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

capable  of  carrying  to  a  successful  conclusion  the 
evangelization  of  the  country.  Would  nine  mis- 
sionaries (eight  for  Mexico  and  one  for  India)  be 
too  many  for  the  Church  to  send  to  the  foreign 
field?  The  report  of  the  last  Synod  gave  the  As- 
sociate Reformed  Presbyterian  Church  a  member- 
ship of  13,469.  To  send  out  four  more  workers 
would  give  the  Church  one  foreign  missionary  for 
every  1500  members  approximately.  Is  that  aim 
too  high?  The  Moravian  Church  has  sent  out  one 
missionary  for  every  66  members.  Would  we  be 
willing  to  concede  that  their  zeal  for  the  hasten- 
ing of  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  bears  toward  ours 
the  proportion  of  22  to  one? 

Are  volunteers  wanting?  When  the  professions 
are  crowded  till  there  is  hardly  standing  room  even 
at  the  top,  shall  this,  the  greatest  work  in  the 
world,  lack  for  laborers?  The  Son  of  God  goes 
forth  to  war  for  His  kingly  crown  and  to  bring  the 
ends  of  the  earth  within  the  confines  of  His  promis- 
ed possessions,  shall  we  let  Him  go  alone?  Rather 
shall  we  not  go  with  Him  and  stand  at  last  by  His 
side  in  the  quiet  and  glory  of  that  eternal  victory? 
Shall  our  young  men  and  women  hear  the  sweet 
voice  calling  "that  makes  whoever  hears  a  home- 
sick soul  thereafter  till  he  follows  it  to  heaven," 
and  not  lay  their  hands  to  "the  work  that  stands  at 
the  present  time  in  the  front  rank  of  all  the  tasks  we 
have  to  fulfil,  the  primary  work  of  the  Church?" 
The  Roman  poet  tells  of  a  wounded  soldier  bleed- 

246 


FORWARD. 

Ing  to  death  upon  his  couch.  He  heard  the  roar 
of  battle  on  the  Alban  hills,  "the  hurling  of  the 
great  stones  from  the  catapult,  and  the  sound  of 
clashing  steel."  And  though  his  eyes  were  filming 
with  death,  he  arose  from  his  bed  and  started  for 
the  far-away  Alban  heights,  praying  to  the  gods 
that  they  would  give  him  strength  to  reach  the 
lines  of  battle  and  strike  just  one  blow  for  the 
triumph  of  the  great  golden  eagle.  Shall  we  love 
less  our  King  and  strive  less  for  the  supremacy  of 
His  kingdom?  Beats  the  heart  of  our  young  men 
so  dead  to  the  heroic  that  they  do  not  hail  with 
supreme  joy  the  opportunity  to  go  to  the  front  of 
the  Master's  far-fiung  battle  line,  where  the  oppo- 
sition is  deadliest  and  the  battle  wages  more  furi- 
ously? 

And  the  number  of  our  native  ministers  must 
be  greatly  multiplied.  A  competent  missionary^ 
reckons  that  for  the  efifective  evangeHzation  of  a 
field  ten  native  men  are  needed  for  each  foreign 
missionary.  (Evangelization  of  the  World  in  this 
Generation,  Mott,  p.  i66.)  On  this  basis  we  shall 
have  to  increase  our  present  force  fivefold.  From 
whence  may  we  expect  so  large  an  increase?  For 
this  very  purpose  was  established  the  Preparatory 
and  Theological  School.  But  to  be  able  to  supply 
this  enlarged  demand,  the  institution  must  have 
better  equipment.  At  present  it  is  expected  that 
the  principal  and  one  assistant  teach  50  students, 
taking  them  through  a  curriculum  which  begins 

247 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

with  the  multiplication  table,  leading  through  the 
higher  branches  to  a  full  literary  graduation,  and 
then  a  theological  course  of  study.  It  involves  a 
task  of  60  classes  daily,  thirty  for  each  teacher.  No 
sane  person  will  believe  that  with  this  overcrowd- 
ing of  work  the  school  can  rise  to  its  full  measure 
of  duty  and  furnish  an  educated  laity  and  a  quali- 
fied ministry. 

The  Presbyterians  are  operating  a  similar  school 
at  Cooyoacan  with  an  enrollment  of  yj  students. 
Their  faculty  consists  of  three  qualified  native 
teachers,  two  American  missionaries  and  an- 
other American  missionary  who  devotes  one-half 
of  his  time  to  the  work.  The  appropriation  calls 
for  $6375,  including  the  salaries  of  the  mission- 
aries. The  teaching  force  of  our  school  numbers 
two  men,  with  an  appropriation  of  $2078,  includ- 
ing the  salary  of  the  missionary  who  is  principal. 

For  a  larger  equipment  of  this  institution  we 
most  earnestly  plead.  By  the  crying  need  of  a 
capable  native  ministry,  for  the  lack  of  which 
open  doors  of  opportunity  have  waited  for 
scores  of  years  with  no  messenger  to  heed  the 
Macedonian  call;  by  the  important  place  which 
the  native  ministry  holds  in  the  missionary  ma- 
chinery, without  which  the  Church  can  not  shoul- 
der the  responsibility  that  our  Lord  has  laid  at  our 
door  and  go  to  the  great  white  throne  clean  of 
the  blood  of  men;  by  the  possibilities  of  a  mission 
force  thoroughly  equipped  with  a  consecrated  pre- 

248 


FORWARD. 

pared  Mexican  ministry,  by  which  under  the  direc- 
tion of  an  adequate  foreign  missionary  force,  we 
might  make  Christ  known  to  these  hundreds  of 
thousands,  and  thus  serve  our  own  generation  by 
the  will  of  God  ere  we  fall  asleep;  by  these  sub- 
lime considerations  we  plead  for  a  larger  and  more 
worthy  equipment  of  the  institution.  On  it  in 
large  measure  depends  the  success  or  failure  of 
the  mission.  From  it  are  to  come  the  men  that 
must  stand  at  the  head  of  the  congregational  ac- 
tivities and  lead  these  to  their  final  victory. 
4.     Larger   Appropriation. 

For  the  more  thorough  equipment  of  the  mis- 
sionary enterprise  and  the  needed  enlargement, 
conservative  calculations  will  call  for  an  appropria- 
tion of  $26,000  annually.  This  estimate  is  not  too 
large  for  our  membership  of  13,469,  making  the 
contribution  only  $2  for  each  member  toward  this 
the  greatest  work  the  Church  has  attempted  in  all 
her  history,  the  work  that  hes  heaviest  upon  the 
heart  of  Him  whom  we  love,  and  that  will  yield  the 
largest  returns  at  that  day  when  all  must  carry  to 
His  judgment  seat  the  talents  entrusted  and  those 
gained  while  He  tarried.  Who  does  not  spend  a 
greater  sum  on  some  extra  outing  of  the  year, 
some  extra  article  of  clothing  that  might  be  dis- 
carded from  one's  life  without  serious  discomfort? 

To  reach  this  high  water  mark  of  missionary  ap- 
propriation it  will  be  necessary  to  introduce  into 
our  missionary  enterprise  the  sound,  practical  prin- 

249 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

ciples  similar  to  those  on  which  commercial  in- 
terests are  based.     The  late  J.  H.  Converse,  who 
for  years  was  president  of  the  Baldwin  Locomotive 
Works,  and  who  translated  his  words  into  works, 
said,  "When  business  men  apply  to  the  work  of 
missions  the  same  energy  and  intelligence  which 
govern  in  their  commercial  ventures,  then  the  pro- 
position to  evangelize  the  world  in  this  generation 
will  no  longer  be  a  dream."     And  does  not  the 
missionary  cause  merit    such?     Missions    are    no 
longer  the  butt  of  the  sneers  of  the  Sydney  Smith 
type,  no  longer  thought  of  as  the  dream  of  certain 
star-gazers,  a  spiritual  mirage  in  the  wild  desert 
of  imagination,  a  Utopia  of  the  pulpit.     The  mis- 
sionary ideals  are   the  most   reasonable   and   the 
methods  the  most  practical.     More  than  one  hun- 
dred years  of  missionary  history,  with  its  hope- 
inspiring  results,  have  reduced  its  methods  to  a 
literal  science  and  justified  the  undertaking  as  in- 
tensely practical  and  worthy  of  the  most  modern 
methods  of  commercial   economy.     The   Mission 
Boards  have  come  up  the  paths  of  the  century  per- 
fecting their  modus  operandi  till  no  business  firm 
invests  their  capital  more  economically  or  more 
wisely  than  they.     These  conditions  call  upon  the 
rank  and  file  of  the  Church  to  look  upon  the  cru- 
sade of  missions  as  the  most  practical  scheme  of 
the  ages  and  respond  accordingly.    Then  two  dol- 
lars annually  toward  this  grand  world-wide  cam- 
paign for  souls  will  seem  but  a  Hght  task. 

250 


FORWARD. 

And  the  spirit  of  self-sacrifice   must  grip  our 
souls.    Let  us  begin  to  give  not  merely  that  which 
we  do  not  need,  but  that  which  we  can  hardly  af- 
ford to  do  without.     It  is  the  spirit  of  David,  who 
refused  to  take  the  summit  of  Mt.  Zion  without 
pay  from  his  pagan  friend,  for  there  on  that  spot 
he  would  place  the  house  of  God  and  he  would 
not  offer  His  God  that  which  cost  him  nothing. 
His  gift  had  to  pass  through  the  hands  of  self- 
denial,  and  was  more  acceptable  to  his  God.    And 
why  should  not  those  who  tarry  by  the  stuff  and 
hold  the  ropes  practice  self-sacrifice  for  missions 
when  they  have  asked  the  missionary  to  give  up 
much  and  go  to  the  front,  where  self-denial  must 
be  one  of  the  cardinal  practices  of  his  daily  life? 
Bishop  Thoburn,  who  gave  his  best  days  to  India, 
has  said :  "If  I  as  a  missionary  am  expected  to 
give  up  all  things  for  the  interests  of  the  work,  to 
count  home  and  treasure,  and  ease  and  personal 
comfort  as  nothing,  when  the  interests  of  the  work 
are  at  stake,  my  brother  in  the  States  who  un- 
hesitatingly assigns   me  this    standard    of    duty, 
should  be  governed  by  a  spirit  precisely  similar." 
Nothing  will  so  surely  foster  this    spirit    as    a 
clearer  vision  of  Him  who,  thoug'h  rich  in  all  the 
glories  of  the  Godhead,  counted  being  on  an  equal- 
ity with  God,  a  thing  not  to  be  grasped  at,  but 
emptied  himself,  taking  the  form  of  a  servant,  mak- 
ing Himself  so  poor  that  though  the  foxes  of  the 
fields  had  caves  and  the  birds  of  the  air  had  nests, 

251 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

He  had  not  where  to  lay  His  head.  He  lived  in  a 
borrowed  home,  sailed  in  a  borrowed  ship,  rode 
on  a  borrowed  ass  and  after  death  was  laid  away 
in  a  borrowed  tomb.  Viewed  in  the  light  of  His 
sublime  sacrifice,  hberality  will  become  the  joy  of 
life  and  two  dollars  will  seem  a  small  sum  to  help 
win  the  nations  from  their  idols  and  rally  them  to 
the  banner  of  Him  who  sacrificed  His  all  for  us. 

5.     More  Prayer. 

On  Patmos  the  Apostle  John  saw  the  angel 
stand  before  the  throne,  and  with  the  golden  cen- 
ser offer  the  incense  of  the  prayer  of  the  saints 
upon  the  altar  before  the  throne,  and  the  smoke 
of  the  offering  ascended  before  God  as  a  sweet- 
smelling  savor.  Then  from  the  fires  of  sacrifice 
upon  the  altar  the  angel  cast  down  to  earth  burn- 
ing incense,  and  lo  there  were  thunderings,  light- 
nings and  an  earthquake.  These  thunder  peals, 
Hghtning  flashes,  and  mighty  upheavals  of  nature 
came  about  as  the  results  of  the  prayers  of  the 
saints  offered  by  the  Angel  of  Intercession.  It 
has  always  been  true.  By  prayer  Moses  saved  the 
nation,  four  million  strong,  whom  God  would  de- 
stroy for  the  idolatry  of  the  golden  calf.  By  the 
uplifted  rod  the  sea  and  river  divided,  the  Jericho 
walls  fell  down  at  the  trumpet  blast,  and  whole 
nations,  with  chariots  of  iron,  were  routed  and 
spoiled  to  possess  the  land  of  promise.  Daniel 
pleaded  the  promise  of  the  return  of  his  nation 

252 


FORWARD. 

fiom  exile  and  God  moved  upon  the  heart  of  Cy- 
rus to  fulfil  His  word  without  knowing-  it.  After 
days  of  waiting  the  cloven  tongues  of  Pentecost 
descended  upon  the  disciples  gathered  in  the  up- 
per room  and  going  out,  they  reaped  a  harvest  of 
three  thousand  souls. 

The  story  of  the  modern  Acts  of  the  apostles 
has  been  written  by  an  angel's  hand  in  the  Lamb's 
book  of  life,  recording  results  brought  to  pass  by 
prayer,  not  less  wonderful  than  the  thunderpeals 
and  hghtning  flashes  of  the  Apocalyptic  vision. 
The  mighty  quickenings  on  the  mission  fields  have 
all  been  born  in  the  upper  room  of  prayer  and 
fasting.  By  prayer  Mackay  gathered  on  his 
twelfth  anniversary  of  missionary  efifort  all  his  liv- 
ing converts  to  a  great  love  feast,  and  1200  sat 
down  to  the  table  of  the  Lord.  By  prayer  the 
Telugu  revival  spread  and  intensified  till  it  had 
equalled  that  of  Pentecost,  and  in  18  months  ten 
thousand  had  been  added  to  the  list  of  the  saved. 
By  prayer  the  fifty  years  of  gospel  eflfort  in  the 
Fiji  Islands,  saw  transformations  so  marvelous  that 
though  the  missionaries  who  introduced  the  work 
had  first  to  gather  up  the  skulls  of  victims  sacri- 
ficed at  the  carnival  feasts,  they  lived  to  see  15,000 
churches  planted  and  104,000  souls  filling  these 
from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath.  By  prayer  Mackay 
and  Hannington  stormed  the  centers  of  blood- 
thirsty Uganda  that  had  hacked  to  pieces  hun- 
dreds of  Christians  and  in  17  years  the  blood  of 

253 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

Hannington  had  borne  the  fruit  of  17,000  souls. 
By  prayer  there  resulted  in  Manchuria  a  great 
shaking  of  the  dry  bones  after  25  years  of  work, 
and  was  reaped  the  golden  harvest  of  19,000  souls. 
Do  not  these  stirring  signals  of  divine  blessing 
call  us  with  clarion  peal  to  give  ourselves  more  un- 
sparingly to  prayer,  to  stand  upon  the  watch-tow- 
ers of  intercession,  not  holding  our  peace  day  nor 
night,  and  giving  Him  no  rest  till  He  make  our 
mission  field  a  praise  in  the  earth?  Face  to  face 
with  the  dearth  of  spiritual  results,  do  we  cry  with 
Israel,  "Awake,  awake,  put  on  thy  strength,  oh 
arm  of  the  Lord,"  the  Master  answers  as  He  did 
His  chosen  people,  "Awake,  awake,  put  on  thy 
strength,  oh  Zion."  Heeding  His  voice,  let  usrisein 
the  almightiness  of  faithful  agonizing  prayer  for 
the  speedy  coming  of  His  kingdom  in  Mexico.  Let 
us  set  apart  days  for  fasting  and  prayer,  pleading 
for  the  refreshing  showers  of  grace  upon  the 
parching  mission  field,  that  its  desert  places  may 
blossom  like  the  rose.  Let  us  make  our  morning 
watch  an  opportunity  for  missions,  when  we  shall 
cry  mightily  to  God  for  a  Pentecostal  outpouring 
of  His  Spirit  upon  the  reapers  of  the  white  harvest 
tields  of  the  Regions  Beyond.  Let  us  organize 
praying  bands  tarrying  in  the  upper  room  and 
waiting  for  the  fulfilment  of  the  promise  to  give 
His  Son  the  heathen  for  His  inheritance.  Let  us 
preach  the  lament  of  the  Lord  that  there  are  none 
that  stir  themselves  to  take  hold  of  Him  in  inter- 

254 


FORWARD. 

cessory  prayer,  the  sin  of  ceasing  to  pray  for  the 
perishing  millions,  the  loud  call  for  princes  in  Israel 
who  may  take  hold  of  the  angel  of  blessing  and 
never  let  Him  go  till  He  causes  to  blow  upon  the 
valley  of  dry  bones  of  spiritual  deadness  the  vital- 
izing breath  of  the  Almighty  Spirit  that  they  may 
rise  and  live.  And  above  all,  let  us  each  begin  to 
pray  daily  for  our  mission  work  with  the  intensity 
of  David  Brainard,  who  agonized  in  intercession 
for  the  pagan  tribes,  till  his  clothes  were  saturated 
with  perspiration.     "Lord,  teach  us  to  pray." 

6.     More  Love  for  Christ. 

In  the  quiet  of  the  upper  room,  after  the  resur- 
rection, on  the  mountains  of  GaHlee  during  those 
forty  days,  on  the  slopes  of  Mt.  Olivet  just  before 
He  ascended,  the  Master  thrice  gave  the  commis- 
sion that  shifts  on  our  shoulders  the  obligation  to 
go  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  gospel  to 
every  creature.  It  was  the  last  command,  the  only 
command  given  after  He  rose  from  the  dead.  And 
if  we  shirk  the  responsibility  and  fail  to  preach  the 
gospel  to  the  706,799  souls  whom  the  hand  of 
Providence  have  so  unmistakably  assigned  to  our 
spiritual  keeping,  will  not  He  add  at  last,  "Why 
call  ye  Me  Lord  and  do  not  the  things  that  I  say"? 
What  we  have  done  for  these  needy  ones,  will  be 
the  unfailing  test  of  our  loyalty  to  Him  at  that 
great  day  of  His  appearing.  "Inasmuch  as  ye  have 
done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these,  ye  have  done 
it  unto  me." 

255 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

"Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do,"  asked 
Paul.  He  was  commissioned  to  carry  the  gospel 
to  the  Gentiles,  and  to  fulfil  his  ministry  he  press- 
ed toward  the  mark  with  undaunted  zeal,  though 
it  meant  the  beasts  of  Ephesus,  five  times  forty 
stripes  save  one,  shipwreck  on  the  seas,  the  under- 
ground dungeon  at  Rome  and  at  last  the  execu- 
tioner's ax.  Shall  we  be  less  loyal  to  His  express 
command  to  evangelize  the  thousands  of  Mexico? 
If  not,  how  shall  we  stand  unashamed  before  Him 
at  His  coming  and  say,  "I  have  finished  the  work 
that  Thou  gavest  me  to  do."  Larger  love  to 
Christ,  such  love  as  translates  itself  into  practical 
loyalty  to  His  command  to  evangehze  the  nations 
will  demand  an  advance  all  along  the  lines  and  the 
wide  districts  of  our  mission  territory  will  be  won 
for  our  Lord. 

And  He  wants  these  thousands  saved.  That 
the  shepherdless  sheep  of  the  nations  might  come 
within  the  reach  of  His  grace,  has  been  the  fond 
wish  of  His  Father-heart  from  the  council  cham- 
bers of  eternity.  So  consuming  was  His  compas- 
sion that  when  the  fullness  of  time  was  come  He 
took  upon  Himself  the  form  of  a  man  and  allowed 
Himself  to  be  nailed  to  the  accursed  cross,  drink- 
ing to  the  last  drop  fhe  infinite  ill  deserts  of  hu- 
man guilt,  and  bore  the  burden  of  human  sin  away 
from  God  into  the  land  of  eternal  forgetfulness.  To 
seek  and  save  the  lost  sheep  and  lead  them  back  to 
the  Father's  fold,   He  has  sent  forth  His  Spirit. 

256 


FORWARD. 

while  He  intercedes  at  the  right  hand  of  Him  who 
promised  Him  the  heathen  for  His  inheritance.  He 
waits  and  waits  for  the  consummation  of  His  de- 
sire. For  these  long  centuries  He  has  been  wait- 
ing. And  He  will  never  see  the  travail  of  His 
soul  nor  be  satisfied  till  the  work  of  evangelization 
has  been  done.  He  looks  out  over  the  idolatrous 
thousands  wandering  as  sheep  without  a  shepherd 
and  for  their  salvation  he  thirsts.  Will  we  sit  idly 
by  while  they  pass  with  noiseless  tread  into  the 
deep  spiritual  shadows  of  eternal  night  and  do 
nothing  to  quench  this  divine  thirst  for  souls? 
At  the  bare  expression  of  his  desire  for  a 
drink  of  water  from  the  old  well  by  the  gate, 
the  heroes  of  King  David  broke  through  the  ranks 
of  the  Philistines,  and  at  the  risk  of  life  brought 
the  cooling  draught  for  their  leader.  Our  Lord 
thirsts  for  the  souls  on  our  Mexican  field  with 
an  infinite  yearning  that  will  never  be  quenched 
till  these  prodigals  have  come  home  to  His  heart  of 
love.  Does  not  the  thought  fire  our  soul  with  an 
all-consuming  passion  to  lay  upon  the  altar  of  mis- 
sion service  all  our  energies  of  body,  soul  and 
spirit  to  evangelize  the  thousands  committed  to 
our  care  and  thus  help  satisfy  the  hunger  of  His 
compassionate  heart? 

Deus  vult  was  the  sublime  text  of  Urban  as  he 
stood  upon  the  platform  at  Clermont  and  pleaded 
that  the  crowds  would  go  with  him  to  the  Holy 
Land  and  snatch  the  tomb  of  our  Lord  from  the 

257 

M-17 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

defiling  hand  of  the  pagan  Turk.  God  willed  it. 
God  wanted  it  done,  they  said.  And  with  that 
simple  watchword  they  swept  out  from  the  market 
place  with  utter  abandon  to  all  other  plans.  The 
silver-tongued  pleader  made  clear  the  price  to 
be  paid.  The  tenderest  ties  were  to  be  severed  for 
the  sake  of  this  goal  that  loomed  up  before  them 
as  the  supreme  desire.  He  warned  them  that 
many  of  the  pilgrims  would  fall  by  the  way  from 
fatigue  or  sickness,  and  sleep  at  last  on  the  desert 
sand  of  some  far-away  land  of  strangers  or  down 
in  a  watery  grave.  Others  would  fall  into  the 
hands  of  the  avenging  hand  of  the  savage  Turk 
and  be  consigned  to  a  life  to  which  death  would 
be  a  thousand  times  to  be  preferred.  Few  would 
stand  at  last  in  the  gates  of  the  holy  city,  look 
upon  its  stately  spires,  see  the  green  hill  just  out- 
side the  city  wall  where  our  Lord  was  crucified  and 
the  garden  where  his  pierced  body  was  laid,  broken 
for  us  all.  Not  once  did  they  waver.  God  willed 
the  rescue  of  the  Saviour's  grave.  He  wanted  it 
done  and  that  was  sufficient  to  fill  all  Europe  with 
the  tread  of  armies  and  sweep  toward  the  holy  land 
those  mighty  throngs  of  Crusaders  ever  memor- 
able for  their  misguided  zeal,  but  for  a  heroism 
that  stirs  the  iron  in  the  blood  of  every  true  sol- 
dier of  the  cross. 

A  greater  crusade  pleads  for  our  service.  It  is 
the  evangelization  of  the  world  in  this  generation. 
And  our  part  is  to  gather  out  of  Mexico's  millions 

2S8 


FORWARD. 

the  thousands  who  are  to  form  a  part  of  the  body 
of  His  Son  and  present  it  "unblamable  before  Him, 
without  spot  or  wrinkle  or  any  such  thing.  Deus 
vult.  God  wills.  God  wants  it  done.  And  shall 
we  prove  less  loyal  in  this  grander  crusade  for 
souls?  Shall  we  falter  at  this  crucial  hour?  Shall 
we  not  rather  crowd  out  of  our  life  all  self-center- 
edness,  all  wastefulness,  all  love  of  ease  and  luxury, 
all  things  weak  and  mean,  and  laying  our  talents, 
one,  two  or  five,  at  His  feet,  and  looking  with  Him 
on  the  fields  so  white  to  the  harvest,  pray  quietly 
and  seriously.  Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do? 
Shall  we  not  distinguish  between  that  which  is  gold 
and  that  which  is  stubble,  and  turning  away  from 
the  lust  of  the  flesh  and  the  lust  of  the  eye,  and  the 
pride  of  life,  and  with  unsparing  abandon,  begin 
to  burn  out  for  this  greatest  work  of  the  world? 
Oh  that  there  might  sweep  over  our  hearts  the 
loyal  spirit  of  those  crusaders,  thrilling  our  souls 
as  the  aspen  quivers  in  the  wind,  and  send  us  out 
to  count  not  our  lives  as  dear  unto  ourselves  that 
we  may  fulfil  the  ministry  which  our  Church  has  re- 
ceived from  the  Lord  to  testify  of  the  grace  of 
God,  that  we  may  stand  at  last  by  His  side  un- 
ashamed amid  the  quiet  and  glory  of  that  hour 
when  the  world  kingdoms  shall  pay  their  homage 
at  His  feet,  and  that  thorn-pierced  brow  shall  be 
covered  with  the  fadeless  crown  of  an  imperish- 
able victory. 


259 


APPENDIX  I 

Population  of  Mexico  according  to  the  last  Census  (1900). 


OCCUPATIONS  AND   OTHER 
CLASSIFICATIONS. 


FEMALE. 


Agriculture 

Mining 

Industries 

Commerce 

Liberal  Professions 

Public  Administration . . 

Domestic  Service 

Property  Owners 

Various  Occupations 

Under  Age 

Over  70  Years  of  Age. . . 

Blind 

Able  to  Read  and  Write. 
Total  Population 


3,130,181 

96,761 

495.702 

189,404 

49,558 

24.488 

95.198 

9,908 

174,116 

3.526.799 

79,459 

8,071 

1,273,325 

6.752,118 


27,306 

584 

262,052 

48,729 

12,649 

700 

3,785.682 

12.825 

185,898 

3,527,129 

74,026 

4,888 

906,263 

6,855,141 


3,157.487 

97.345 

757.754 

238,133 

62.207 

25,188 

3.880,880 

22,733 

360,014 

7,053,928 

153,485 

12,959 

2,179,588 

13,607.259 


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uoiiBudojddv 


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APPENDIX  IV 

BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

Note. — The  following  is  not  intended  to  be  an  exhaustive  bibliography.  Of 
the  many  authoritative  and  instructive  works  on  Mexico  only  a  few  have  been 
suggested.  A  longer  list  would  be  confusing.  Those  indicated  will  especially 
be  helpful  because  they  throw  light  on  the  religious  condition  of  Mexico  and 
our  responsibility  toward  this  neighbor  Republic. 

Mexico  in  Transition.      William  Butler. 

Latin  America.      H.  W.  Brown. 

Mexico  Coming  into  the  Light.      John  W.  Butler 

Mexico  Our  Next  Door  Neighbor.      F.  S.  Borton. 

Face  to  Face  with  the  Mexicans.      F.  C.  Gooch. 

The  Conquest  of  Mexico.      W.  H.  Prescott. 

Mexico.      W.  E.  Carson. 

Life  in  Mexico      Calderon  de  la  Barca. 

Mexico  and  the  United  States.      Matias  Romero. 


APPENDIX  V 

PRONUNCIATION   OF  THE  SPANISH   LETTERS. 


LETTERS 

PRONUNCIATION 

EXAMPLE 

Vowels. 

as  a  in  father. . . . 

as  e  in  they 

as  i  in  machine .  . 

as  0  in  note 

as  u  in  rule 

as  ee  in  meek. .  . . 

Pablo. 

Meza. 

i                              

Simon. 

Mora  to. 

Cruz. 

y  alone,  after  a  vowel  or  before  a  consonant .... 

hoy. 

Consonants. 

d  between  two  vowels  or  at  the  end  of  a  word. 

g  before  weak  vowels,  e  and  i 

h  is  always  silent 


U 

I! 

q  before  ue  and  ui 

r  at  the  beginning  or  end  of  a  word  or  follow- 
ing 1,  n,  8 


X  at  the  beginning  of  a  word  or  syllable 

y  before  a  vowel  in  the  same  syllable  or  be- 
tween two  vowels  in  the  same  word 


as  th  in  that . 
as  h  in  holy. 


as  h  in  ham . . . 
as  y  in  your. . . 
as  n  in  pinion . 
as  k  in  kin. . . . 


very  strong  trill, 
very  strong  trill, 
as  h  in  home. . . 


as  y  in  yard, 
as  s  in  say .  . 


amad. 
gente. 


Tnijillo. 
caballo. 
Seflorita. 
queda. 

rancho. 
Torres. 
Mexico. 

Yflcatan. 
Sanchez. 


Note. — The  foregoing  letters  in  all  other  positions  and  the  remaining  let- 
ters of  the  alphabet  are  pronounced  as  in  English. 

ACCENT. 

Words  ending  with  a  vowel  or  in  the  consonants  n  or  s  receive  the  ac- 
cent on  the  antepenult.    All  others  are  accented  on  the  last  syllable. 


INDEX 

Page 

Abbott    60 

African  Mission   109 

Agencies,    Our   Missionary    Chapter    13C-184 

Agriculture    13 

Ahultzotl    39 

All    Saints'    Day    202 

American    Capital    195 

American    Population    195 

Americans,   Influence  Hurtful  to  Jlission  Work   196 

American   Bible  Society    181 

Angel    of    Intercession     252 

Antl-Amerlcan    Spirit    192 

Appropriation,    Larger,    Needed    249 

Arcos,   Catarina    210 

Area   of    Our    Field    76 

Army     22 

Aztecs    38 

Bananas     16 

Beginning,     Our.      Chapter     107-115 

Bible,   Our  Guide,  102;   first  Edition   issued  In  Mexico,   71;  Made 

of  No  Effect  by  Romish   Edicts    102 

Bibliography     265 

Blackstocks,    William    107 

Bonner,    Nellie   Rhule    116 

Bonner,   William  J 118 

Bonner,    Dr.   J.    1 112 

Boyce,   Mattle    117,  166 

Bralnard,    David    255 

Bull    Fights    32 

Butron,    Enoc    128,  168 

Calderon,    Mde 63 

Calleja    46 

Cardenas    Congregation     149 

Caste,    Social    189 

Cattle   Raising    76 

Cerritos    82 

CerrltOB    Congregation    148 

Chalahuite   Congregation    142 

Chlchlmecas     38 

Chiconcillo    Congregation     141 

Christ,    Our    Ideal,    104;    Saves    by    His   Blood,    103;    Hidden    by 
Romanism,    105;    His   Love   for   Souls,    266;    His   Self-denial, 

261;  Hla  Te«t  of  Loyalty    266 

266 


INDEX 


Pare 

Ciudad  del  Maiz,   83;  Congregation.   143;  Field,  143;  School....     166 

Ciudad    Fernandez    Congregation     148 

Claims   of   Home    Field    227 

Claims   of   Foreign    Field    227 

Climate    11 

Colportage   Work    181 

Comfort  of  the  Gospel   100 

Contrast  Between   the  Protestant  and   Romish   Religion 99 

Converse,   J.   H 260 

Cooperation   With   United    Presbyterian   Church    112 

Cortez,    Hla    Conquest    41 

Couriers     40 

Courtship  and  Marriage    29 

Criticism.      Scarcity    of    Converts    206 

Crusades     258 

Cruz,    ApoUnar    221 

Cruz,    Cresenciano    129,   146 

Cruz,    Guadalupe    129,    222,    223 

Customs     23 

Dale,  James  G 162,   117,  146 

Dale,  Katherlne  Neel    118,   168 

Diaz,    President     47 

Difficulties.      Chapter   185-205 ;    the   call   of    204 

Dishes,    National    27 

Divine   Lady   of   Zapotlan    203 

Divine    Plan    for    Foreign    Missions    226 

Domelech,   Abbe    140,   230 

Education     *8 

Educational   Work,    Its   Aim,    150;    Its   Advantages    151-155 

Edwards,    Amelia  B 120,    176 

Edwards,    John   R 119.    1*6 

Encouragements,    Chapter    on     206-225 

Erwin,   J.    P 166.    1" 

Evangelistic    Spirit    of    Converts    216 

Feeding    the    Dead     202 

Field,    Our.     Chapter    75-84 

Fiji  Islands    253 

Foreign    Population     20 

Foreign   Missionary,    Qualifications   of,    89;   His  Work    86-88 

Forward.      Chapter    239-259 

Galloway,   M.   E ^^^ 

Garcia,   Pedro    1***'   ^18 

Gettys,  Jennie   120,  156 

Gibbon     


189 


Glften,   John    m 

Gordon     1°* 

Gospel    Standards    High     *" 

21 

Government 


267 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

Page 

Grant,    A 169 

Grier,    Isaac    107 

Guerrero    20 

Hannlngton     2B3 

Hemphill,   John    107 

Henequen    17 

Hernandez,    Inez    131 

Hidalgo    46 

Hllarla,   Dfia    221 

History,    Chapter    35-48 

Hospital,    Dale    Memorial     170 

Houses     26 

Huesteca,    Potoslna    81 

Humbolt    50 

Hunter,   Emma  M 121,  136 

Hunter,    J.    S.    A 121,    143,  182 

Hunter,    Rosema    122,  156 

Illiteracy,    Appendix    1 261 

Independent    Church     194 

Indian    19 

Industrial    Missions    137 

Ingelow,    Jean    101 

Inquisition    232 

Irrigation     14 

IxtU    Trade    80 

Juarez    20,   46 

Judson     188 

Korea     206 

La  Colonla  Congregation   14B 

La   Fe   Crlstlana    178 

Las   Lomas   del    Real    140 

Liberia     108 

Literature,    178;    Its    Utility    180 

Liberalism,    Its  Cause,    196;   Difficult  to   Combat    197 

Lopez,     N 222 

Lopez,    S 221 

Love,  Janle 123,  167.  158 

Love   for    Souls    241 

Love   for   Christ    255 

Loyalty  to  the  Church    217 

Loyalty   to   the   Bible    221 

Mackay     263 

Manchuria    254 

Manrlque,    Elena    159 

Mariolatry     61 

McMaster,    Rachel    128 

Medical    Work,    Its    Authority,    168;    Utility,    169;    Clinics,    170; 

Statistics,    171;    Expense,    171;    Results 171-176 

268 


INDEX 


Page 

Mexican    Herald     48 

Mexican  Mission,   The    179 

Mexican  Mission   Established    112 

Mexico,    Its   Size    9 

Mexlztl    9 

Meza,    Francisco    131 

Mines     ^ 18 

Missionary  Work  of  Our  Church,   First    107 

Missionary   Work,    Its    Purpose    86 

Missions,    Mohammedan    206 

Missions  In   Turkey   and  Mexico   Compared    207 

Moctezutna     40 

Monroe   Doctrine,    193;    Its   Moral   Bearing    286 

Morato  Pablo   212 

Morelos    20 

Morning  Watch    264 

Mott    242 

Mountains 10 

Murphy,   Misses    108 

Native    Characteristics    28 

Native  Church,  The  Ideal  of;   Self-sustaining,   95;   Evangelistic, 

97 ;    Spiritual     101 

Native   Pastors,    Their  Work    90 

National    Missionary    Conference    242 

Navy    23 

Neel,    Lavlnia    124,   157,    158,  177 

North  African  Mission   M 

Northers     11 

Obligation  of  National   Debt    234 

Oil    Wells     78 

Olguln     216 

Open    Doors    231 

Organization  of  Miss.   Work    86 

Oranges    1* 

Orphanage,  Rloverde   176 

Ortiz,    Jose    216 

Out-door   Preaching  Forbidden    1'7 

Ozuluama    77 

Palacio,   Vicente    50 


Panuco 
Parker 


Pascal 


78 

169 

86 

Patrick    ^'^* 

Paul,  His  Sense  of  Kesponslblllty,   226;  His  Obedience    266 

Penance     ***' 

People,   Chapter   19-34 

Perseverance,  Duty  of   236 

Plans   and   Ideals.      Chapter    85-106 

269 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

Page 

Plantation    Life    24 

Politeness     29 

?opulatlon    19 

Prayer,    Need   of    262 

Pre-hlstoric   Times    35 

Preparatory  and   Theological   School,   161;    Its  Difficulties,    162- 

165;   Need  of  Better  Equipment,   248;   Expense   164 

Presbyterian    School    248 

Prescott    49 

President  Diaz,  His  Attitude  Toward  Foreigners   192 

Pressly,    G.   "W 108 

Pressly,   H.   E 125,  143 

Pressly,    N.    E 125,   113,  138 

Pressly,    Rachel    125,  114 

Primitive    Christianity    Ig9 

Pronunciation,    Appendix    IV 265 

Providence   Leading    Us    233 

Raffles  for   Souls    S9 

Reinforcements    Needed    242 

Relation    Between    Denominations    76 

Religion.      Chapter    49-74 

Responsibility,    Our.      Chapter    226-238 

Rloverde,   83;   Field,   146;   Congregation,    146;   School    158 

Robinson,   James    108 

Roman  Catholicism,  Baptized  Paganism.  51-52;  A  Chrlstless 
Religion,  59-60;  Converted  Native  by  Arms,  51;  Enemy 
to  Bible,  71-73;  Externallsm,  101;  Has  Failed  In  Mexico, 
228;  Fanatical,  185;  Idolatrous,  53;  Intolerant,  186; 
Ignorant  of  Holy  Spirit,  104;  Its  Low  Ideas  of  Sin,  198; 
Its  Prayer  Life,  103;  Its  Corrupt  Priesthood,  70;  Mercenary, 
68;  Opposes  Liberty,  196;  Superstitious,  201;  Teaches  Sal- 
vation Through  Works,  62;  Void  of  Spirituality,  66;  "Wor- 
ships   Mary    SO 

Romero     62 

Rubber   Plants    15 

Ruins    38 

Sabbath   Desecration    190 

Sabbath   Observance — A   Problem,    A   Test    191 

Sacrifice    of   Human   Beings    39 

Sad   Night    43 

Saints,    Local    56 

Salaries     94 

Salvation   Army    I37 

Sanchez     132 

San    Benito    67 

San    Antonio    58,  202 

San    Antonio   Congregation    145 

San    Clro    187 

270 


INDEX 


Page 

San   Luis   Potosl   Field    79 

Santa   Maria   del   Rio    SO 

Saved   to   Serve    97 

School.     See  Educational  Work. 

Seasons    12 

Senor   de    Tamplco   Alto    212 

Separation  of  Church  and  State    46 

Seven   Spirits   Cast   Out    231 

South    Carolina    243 

Spanish   Conquest    41 

Spanish  Domination   44 

Spirituality    of    Converts     208 

Statistics,    Appendices  II.   and   III 262-264 

Stevenson,    Made    126,  165 

Strong,   Anna    127,   156,  157 

Tamazunchale     S2 

Tampico   Field,    138;    Consregation,    138;   School,   155;   Improve- 
ments      79 

Tamplco    Presbytery    Organized    96 

Tamaulipas    Field     78 

Tancanhuitz    S3 

Tantlma    142 

Telugu     253 

Teocall    39 

Tezcatlipoca    40 

Titus    43 

Thoburn    251 

Torres    133 

Travel  on  Coast  77 

Trujnio   Pedro    134,  138 

Tuxpan    77 

Uganda    253 

trhlhorn    188 

Uprooting    Error     93 

Valles,    83 ;   Congregation    14S 

Vega    de    Otates    143 

Vera  Cruz  Field    76 

Virgin's    Appearance    54 

Visions,    Larger,    Needed    239 

Volunteers  Needed    246 

Wallace,    Lew    40 

Wallace,     Fannie     127,  156 

War  for  Independence    45 

War    with    France    46 

War   with   U.   S 46,  193 

W^are    108 

Watson    244 

Webster     238 

271 


V 


MEXICO  AND  OUR  MISSION. 

Pas* 

Workers,  Our.     Chapter   116-136 

Xavler     281 

Zaleta    186 

Zlnzendorf    106 


2/2 


DATE  DUE 


DEMCO  38-297 


